University of Tennessee Southern and several businesses are responding after a group of college students filmed a video of themselves shouting a racial slur.
The video, originally posted on Facebook and later shared on X, shows three young women in bathing suits holding beer cans. The girls are heard shouting “n—-r” before clinking their drinks and chugging.
The video was allegedly posted on a private story. It’s unclear who leaked it.
Many people online had a lot to say about the video.
“Why do white people find this empowering? Cause it’s taboo?” @rainysayrelax wrote on X.
“WTF? Do they feel liberated after saying that? LOL, there yt folks are crazy,” @ShadyEmpire89 added.
“Freedom of speech does not exempt you from freedom of consequences, learn that the hard way, MAGA,” @Tyler74981410 commented.
“Just stop saying the word, and your world will be okay? Is it that hard, white people?” @JASHIE8133333 said.
Atlanta Black Star spoke with Cathy Vandiver, a co-owner of the Rusty Spur Steakhouse in Pulaski, Tennessee, where one of the girls used to work. She said she was horrified.
“We try to hire folks that have a nice attitude,” Vandiver said. “Most of the time when you interview people, they give you their best side, and you don’t see that type of behavior in the restaurant, but then what they choose to do on the outside affects us.”
Vandiver said once she found out about the video, she immediately took action.
“We have a reputation to uphold about the way that we are.”
Vandiver said the former employee could not come into work and had to be fired over the phone.
Another business, Lew Lew’s, confirmed it fired one of the other girls.
Atlanta Black Star spoke with a manager at the Hickory House Restaurant, who said she employed a girl who was on the boat with the group, but not in the video.
“She was mentioned at first as being the one that recorded the video,” the manager said. “But it was later proven that the video was set up and time recorded.”
“How was it proven?” our reporter asked.
“I think someone said that,” the manager replied.
@mginth8 You may have seen the video of these girls shouting a racial slur and posting it online. I interviewed an employer of one of the girls there who claims she was not involved, but was there when the video was filmed. Full story coming soon #racialslur #ut #tennessee #fyp #atlanta ♬ original sound – Mary
“OK, because the way that I looked at the video —”
“And she told me that, and I choose to believe her.”
The manager said her former employee told her she regretted her involvement in the incident.
Sources close to the situation described the situation as “girl drama,” accusing another girl of filming the video on a separate phone and posting it publicly. She is allegedly white.
The manager continued reiterating that the girls were dumb for posting the video. Our reporter asked for clarification about what she thought was the issue.
“Wouldn’t you say the issue here is they’re saying a racial slur, not that they filmed a video?” our reporter asked the manager.
“Yeah…that’s bad…that’s very bad they did that,” she replied. “I can’t imagine why they thought that was something they wanted to record. Maybe the fact they were drinking?”
“So again, you said ‘record,’ the issue isn’t that they record, it’s the issue that they said [a racial slur] period.”
“That has been the million dollar question in our town, why did they say that?” the manager replied.
Sources close to the family of one of the girls told Atlanta Black Star that one of the girls who said the slur is still posting pictures from the trip, seemingly ignoring the backlash.
UT Southern also issued a statement following the video. Two girls in the video are students at the institution.
“We remain committed to fostering a campus environment grounded in dignity, respect, and belonging for all members of our community,” the university said in a statement online. “The university is reviewing the matter through the appropriate institutional processes and in alignment with applicable policies and laws.”
It’s unclear what actions the university will take.
Vandiver told Atlanta Black Star the NAACP is calling the businesses involved to gather more information.
