The controversy over racist Ring camera footage at the University of Mississippi has taken another disturbing turn after far-right influencer Jake Lang shared two videos showing himself protesting inside a campus building and wearing a monkey costume outside what appears to be the Black students’ apartment.
In one video, Lang appears to protest inside an Ole Miss campus building.
In another, he appears outside the apartment shared by Jakiyra Metcalf, Kaiyden Caldwell and Victoria G. Johnson, wearing an ape mask and making monkey noises, seemingly mocking the racist incident that initially targeted them.
“The girls did nothing wrong! The girls did nothing wrong!” Lang says in the video. “Chimping out!”
The three Black students drew widespread attention after sharing Ring doorbell footage showing two white women making monkey noises and racist gestures outside their door while a third woman walked alongside them.
Atlanta Black Star has reached out to the University of Mississippi Police Department and the Oxford Police Department in Mississippi, asking whether officers responded to either incident involving Lang.
ABS also asked whether officers instructed Lang to leave either property, took any action against him, or received complaints or reports related to the incidents. The inquiries also seek clarification on whether Lang faces any potential charges.
Lang, a supporter of President Donald Trump and a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, previously made headlines after his arrest in Texas on a charge of making terroristic threats.
His appearance outside what appears to be the students’ apartment prompted another wave of criticism online.
The latest videos come as fundraising campaigns supporting women identified online in connection with the original incident continue drawing attention.
One campaign seeks money to help Sara Whitehead return to California after she was reportedly identified as the third woman walking alongside the two women captured making monkey noises and racist gestures.
The fundraiser, titled “Help Sara Whitehead Fly Home to California,” was reportedly organized by someone identifying himself as Whitehead’s uncle. Its description claims the controversy has left Whitehead isolated, with the other two women involved in the incident no longer speaking to her.
“The girls are no longer friends,” the campaign description states.
The person behind the appeal claims Whitehead has been abandoned by the other women as the backlash continues. He alleges that one of them launched a separate fundraising campaign that blamed Whitehead for the incident.
“Also, at least one of the other girls has started a gofundme throwing my niece under the bus,” it reads.
The appeal asks donors to help cover the cost of a flight to California, where Whitehead could reportedly stay with her aunt and uncle while pursuing her college education at another institution. The campaign does not identify a specific school she plans to attend.
The fundraiser also claims Whitehead faces expulsion from the University of Mississippi and can no longer return to campus. However, the university has not publicly confirmed that Whitehead has been expelled, suspended, or barred from campus.
“She is trying to get reinstated at the school, but if that does not happen, our family will need money to make this move,” it claims.
University officials have previously cited federal student privacy protections when explaining why they cannot disclose details about individual students’ disciplinary proceedings.
The person identifying himself as Whitehead’s uncle also alleges that university officials pressured her to apologize. According to the campaign, her family now intends to withdraw that apology because they believe she committed no crime.
“Sara was forced to apologize by campus officials, but we are taking back that apology because she has committed no crime,” the fundraiser reads.
The campaign also claims Whitehead and her relatives have received threats since the video circulated online.
“Our whole family has received death threats, but we are not backing down,” the campaign description states.
The organizer argues that Whitehead’s family has fewer financial resources than the families of the other women and needs help getting her out of Mississippi.
Whitehead is reportedly the third woman seen in the Nov. 6 Ring camera footage. Unlike the two women captured making monkey noises and racist gestures, the third person does not appear to participate in that behavior. However, the university has not publicly confirmed that Whitehead is the woman seen in the recording.
The controversy began after Metcalf, an Ole Miss freshman, shared footage from her apartment’s Ring doorbell camera. The 13-second clip shows two white women approaching the residence, pounding their chests and making ape-like noises before walking away with a third woman who says nothing.
The recording quickly circulated online, prompting widespread criticism and a university investigation into the seemingly racially motivated actions.
During a Nov. 11 appearance on “CBS Mornings,” Metcalf and Johnson said they confronted the women shortly after discovering the footage. They said one woman, later identified as Alaina Kunes, apologized, while the other allegedly continued making the gestures.
“She continued to make the gestures after the girl was apologizing,” Johnson told CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan. “It was like a slap in the face.”
Kunes publicly acknowledged her involvement on Nov. 10 and apologized to the students and the university community. She described her conduct as inappropriate and harmful. She maintained, however, that she did not know the race of the women living in the apartment.
Kunes has since withdrawn from the university.
Meanwhile, a separate GiveSendGo campaign titled “Stand With Lauren” was launched in support of Lauren Mayfield, another woman identified through online discussions about the video.
The fundraiser identifies Mayfield as the woman who continued making the gestures while Kunes apologized. Its description defends Mayfield’s decision not to apologize and characterizes Kunes’ statement as “groveling.”
The campaign had raised nearly $70,000 at the time of the original report. Its organizers accuse the university and online critics of unfairly targeting Mayfield.
Meanwhile, the university’s investigation into the Nov. 6 incident remains ongoing. Despite the experience, Metcalf, Caldwell and Johnson have said they intend to remain at Ole Miss.
