Ring Camera Captures Racist Gestures Outside Ole Miss Student Apartment
A video shared Saturday shows two women making monkey noises past the home of three Black freshmen, prompting a formal investigation by the university.
By Anthony Foster ·
A doorbell camera video has intensified scrutiny of campus climate at the University of Mississippi after capturing women performing racist gestures near a student residence.
The footage, which belongs to Tasha Bolton’s daughter, an African American freshman at Ole Miss, was posted to social media on Saturday. The clip shows three white women walking past the front door of an off-campus apartment. Two of the women are heard making monkey noises as they pass. The apartment is shared by Bolton’s daughter and two other Black students.
The incident drew immediate attention from the student body and visitors in Oxford. Olivia Landgreve, a sophomore who does not live in the building, expressed frustration over the behavior. She stated, "I like to think that people don’t see me like that. I’m just a person like everybody else is. Very upsetting to think that maybe people are thinking other things while they’re looking at me while I walk on campus." Landgreve added that the incident felt like a setback to progress she believes the campus has made.
Jamie Purcell, a visitor from California, reacted with shock after viewing the clip. She described the actions as "disgusting" and criticized the women for acting in a way that contradicted common social expectations. Purcell noted she had not seen the video until local media showed it to her.
The university issued a statement on Sunday acknowledging the video. The administration called the behavior offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable. They confirmed that the incident is under active investigation by the appropriate university offices. The statement noted that student conduct cases are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, which limits the release of specific disciplinary records.
Bolton, who shared the footage, has not yet spoken publicly in detail. She indicated she prefers to wait until she has had a conversation with university officials. The university said it has reached out to the targeted students to provide support and resources.
