University of Alabama Student Expelled Over Racist Instagram Videos

Suzannah Weiss
Updated
Harley Barber was expelled from the University of Alabama after sharing videos where she used a racial slur.

This week, 19-year-old Harley Barber was expelled from the University of Alabama and removed from the Alpha Phi sorority over racist comments in videos she posted to Instagram. According to the Associated Press, she used the N word multiple times, saying, "I love how I act like I love black people because I... hate..." and that she could use the slur "as much as I want" because she's "in the South now."

The videos were recorded on a private Instagram account that she referred to as her "finsta," or "fake Insta," but someone recorded and shared them on Twitter, and they went viral on Martin Luther King Day. On Wednesday, students held a protest on campus, and University president Stuart R. Bell released a statement expressing "disgust and disappointment," WIAT reports.

"Like many of you, I find the videos highly offensive and deeply hurtful, not only to our students and our entire University community, but to everyone who viewed them," the statement reads. "The actions of this student do not represent the larger student body or the values of our University, and she is no longer enrolled here."

Linda Kahangi, executive director of Alpha Phi, told the AP that Barber, who was previously in the sorority, is not a member anymore. Four years ago, a University of Alabama student's bid from the sorority Chi Omega was similarly rescinded after she used a racial slur on Snapchat, the school's paper The Crimson White reports.

Barber apologized for her actions, telling The New York Post, "I don't know what to do and I feel horrible. I’m wrong and there’s just no excuse for what I did."

Related: This Arizona State Student Was Fired from Her Internship After Her Racist Tweet Went Viral

Check This Out:

See the videos.