CONWAY, Ark. — A University of Central Arkansas fraternity has been suspended after a photo was posted on Instagram, according to KTHV.
In the picture a student is shown to be in black face, wearing a Bill Cosby style sweater.
President Tom Courtway quickly released a statement on the incident, condemning the photo and the student’s act.
“This institution embraces all races, cultures, and nationalities,” the statement said. “We strive each day to be welcoming, inclusive and diverse, and will always continue to do so.”
Courtway ends the statement promising that the incident will be investigated by the university and will be dealt with accordingly.
The fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma, has been suspended by the Sigma Tau Gamma Headquarters, according to UCA’s Twitter.
In April of this year, UCA faced another controversy after a photo in their yearbook, The Scroll, described two African-American students as wearing “thug faces” during a step show performance.
UCA’s newspaper The Echo reported that the student responded to the incident with a blank photo on Instagram with a long text apologizing attached to the post.
“I wake up in the morning and pray to God that I can be just a little bit better than the day before,” the apology said. “And today marks the day that I have to be a lot better than the day before.”
The apology continues with the student saying that social media has “corrupted society”.
The student also said that he has received threats after the photo went viral on the internet.
“I swear to everyone that I have never stereotyped a person based on how they look. It’s not me,” he said.
The statement ends with the student asking for forgiveness.
UCA is still continuing their investigation on the incident.
CBS affiliate THV has reached out to the student and their family for additional comment, but they have not responded at this time.
