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Ole Miss frat boy JP Staples came under fire recently when a video of his reaction to a pro-Palestinian campus protestor went viral online. Georgia Republican Senator Mike Collins praised Staples’ actions, but the NAACP condemned them, and Staples was expelled from his fraternity.
The incident happened on Thurs. May 2, 2024, as demonstrations against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza spread across campuses nationwide. The pro-Palestinian gathering at Ole Miss drew a mostly-white counterprotest, and that’s when video was captured of counter-protestors antagonizing a Black female demonstrator, so far unnamed in the press.
The interaction was captured on video which went viral online. The NAACP later identified Staples from the clip as he mocked the woman in a racist manner, as other counterprotesters hurled vulgarities and offensive comments her way, according to The Daily Beast.
JP Staples made monkey noises
JP Staples was seen in the viral footage mimicking monkey movements and sounds at the Black woman, playing on offensive and degrading stereotypes. Among other students that day, Staples was identified in a statement from the University of Mississippi chapter of the NAACP, which called for Staples’ expulsion from the Phi Theta Delta Fraternity.
Staples was expelled, and in a statement, the fraternity said in part,
After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individual’s behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values. In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated which resulted in the removal of membership.”
via Phi Delta Theta
At the same time, Ole Miss also investigated the student’s conduct. “We will not tolerate discrimination, intimidation, harassment, or bias of anyone in our campus community. To be clear, people who say horrible things to people because of who they are will not find shelter or comfort on this campus,” Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. Neither Staples nor the woman involved have publicly commented on the situation.
Ole Miss was just “taking care of business,” according to GOP lawmaker
After it happened, Georgia Republican lawmaker Mike Collins shared footage of JP Staples at the Ole Miss counterprotest on X, captioned “Ole Miss taking care of business,” and Georgia Governor Tate Reeves also posted video of the counterprotest on X captioned, in part, “Warms my heart. I love Mississippi!” However, Staples cannot be seen in the footage Reeves shared. Collins later released a statement on X condemning Staples’ actions.
“Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify,” Collins statement said in part.