The Student Room Group

Exeter university students suspended over racism and rape claims

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-devon-43473517

I am so glad that Exeter suspended these students as it shows they are taking action but I hope they aren’t doing it in the hope of making the story go away and take further action in order to prevent this from happening again.

This type of behaviour is disgraceful and people need to learn that it’s not right and it won’t be tolerated. Talking about ‘rape’ like it’s a joke, is not funny.

I know some people make mistakes but they are university students who are studying Law: they should be able to tell the difference between right and wrong.

What makes it worse was the fact that one of the guys was a person of colour. Him using derogatory words against his own people allows others to think they could do it. How do people have so much hatred in their hearts, it makes me wonder.

If someone didn’t screenshot their messages they would have never been found out. And if they did but they didn’t get as much press, would Exeter still suspend them? I feel Universities only react when things like this get a lot of press and they are under a lot of pressure but it shouldn’t be like that, Universities should be trying to solve the problems before they arise by telling their students this isn’t tolerated. I know for a fact that the actions of the students isn’t the universities fault and they probably wouldn’t have been able to prevent it but universities need to realise that these students act like ‘ambassadors’ for the uni and their actions reflect on them. This only prevents people of colour from wanting to go there.

I don’t know whether or not a post has been made on this topic. I tried to find one but couldn’t. But thought I’ll tell my opinion as a person of colour.

IBZ MO Reaction:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JtcRy1WiGXs

Images and Information of Students involved:
https://thetab.com/uk/2018/03/20/named-and-pictured-the-men-behind-the-racist-exeter-group-chat-62740
(edited 5 years ago)

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I'm sorry, but the university really has no damn business suspending students over tasteless jokes shared in private. These students are having their education and their futures damaged over something stupid that harmed no one.

Ironically, the bigger deal that's made of this, the more attention it draws. It needn't have developed into anything that damaged the institution's reputation.
To add to my previous post, another ironic fact is the 'whistle-blowing' itself is what caused the real harm - not the private jokes. Had nothing been said, and had it been left alone, the university would never have been implicated. Some things are best left in private, which itself is relevant to the context of things like this. Imagine trying to explain every dirty, edgy, offensive thing you've said while under the impression it was private.
Are these rape allegations going to prove as baseless as all the others? Time shall tell.

Original post by Dandaman1
To add to my previous post, another ironic fact is the 'whistle-blowing' itself is what caused the real harm - not the private jokes. Had nothing been said, and had it been left alone, the university would never have been implicated. Some things are best left in private, which itself is relevant to the context of things like this. Imagine trying to explain every dirty, edgy, offensive thing you've said while under the impression it was private.


I agree completely with both posts. Just more fodder for the "social justice" lynchmob, alas.
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 4
more effing snowflakes that's what it is - these guys will not last 1wk in their first job if it's manual
I'm 'sorry' but the university has every damn right to suspend students over vile racist slurs and so called jokes plastered all over the group. - saying blacks are only useful as 'tree ornaments' and saying there will be a 'Race war', following suit with the Asian cuck saying he will 'lead the charge for his own colour' like have you not read the messages?

Exeter already has bad press for being one of the least diverse RG's and this has tainted its reputation further. The users above are the problem with things like this and why they keep reoccurring, only a few weeks ago at NTU and now at Exeter.

There is probably a lot more of these but people are still too complicit to report. - In addition to this reporting to the universities does bog all hence why people go straight to social media. Honestly, calling those reporting a bunch of 'snowflakes' when the slurs are used to people of their race is an abomination. - I find it very difficult to find space in my heart to let these guys off when they did say some deep rooted things that probably stemmed from them growing up. - It's not always the individuals fault but in this case they are very much at fault, and all of them have every reason to be suspended.
I've read the article 3 times now and can't find anything about any actual rapes taking place at all. Baity headlines.

The apparent racism just looks like bad jokes taken out of context. It's the sort of thing that could happen in one of my group chats when one or more of the members are drunk. Do they actually treat PoC any differently to anyone else whilst out and about? No. Do they actually hold any ill will towards those people? Also no. I'd guess it's probably a similar situation here

Original post by TheEnchantress

I hope they aren’t doing it in the hope of making the story go away and take further action in order to prevent this from happening again.


How exactly are they going to prevent jokes being shared in private?
Original post by pezisland37
I'm 'sorry' but the university has every damn right to suspend students over vile racist slurs and so called jokes plastered all over the group. - saying blacks are only useful as 'tree ornaments' and saying there will be a 'Race war', following suit with the Asian cuck saying he will 'lead the charge for his own colour' like have you not read the messages?

Exeter already has bad press for being one of the least diverse RG's and this has tainted its reputation further. The users above are the problem with things like this and why they keep reoccurring, only a few weeks ago at NTU and now at Exeter.

There is probably a lot more of these but people are still too complicit to report. - In addition to this reporting to the universities does bog all hence why people go straight to social media. Honestly, calling those reporting a bunch of 'snowflakes' when the slurs are used to people of their race is an abomination. - I find it very difficult to find space in my heart to let these guys off when they did say some deep rooted things that probably stemmed from them growing up. - It's not always the individuals fault but in this case they are very much at fault, and all of them have every reason to be suspended.


It was edgy, purile crap, and should be regarded as such and let be. Again, it was whoever made it public that caused the harm. There was no need to. It was a private matter until some busybody decided to throw the s**t against the fan to literally nobody's benefit. Doing that made things worse, implicated the university's reputation, and got some otherwise harmless edgelords suspended (potentially affecting their entire futures).
Reply 8
Original post by Retired_Messiah
I've read the article 3 times now and can't find anything about any actual rapes taking place at all. Baity headlines.

The apparent racism just looks like bad jokes taken out of context. It's the sort of thing that could happen in one of my group chats when one or more of the members are drunk. Do they actually treat PoC any differently to anyone else whilst out and about? No. Do they actually hold any ill will towards those people? Also no. I'd guess it's probably a similar situation here

How exactly are they going to prevent jokes being shared in private?


im sure you're capable of doing a little digging for the full reciepts, but here it is anyway.

https://thetab.com/uk/exeter/2018/03/19/exeter-uni-racism-law-society-groupchat-38405

reasoning for why the guy outed them is near the bottom btw.
Reply 9
anyway off topic, some of you are absolutely vile and what sickened me even more than reading the screenshots and the thoughts of the people personally targeted by the people in the group chat, is making the mistake of looking up threads on tsr on the issue. god
Original post by Dandaman1
I'm sorry, but the university really has no damn business suspending students over tasteless jokes shared in private.


Of course they do? They have a reputation to uphold. Do you seriously think that any reputable university is going to want to give a degree to a racist bigot?

Original post by Retired_Messiah
The apparent racism just looks like bad jokes taken out of context.


I'd be quite curious to know what context you think "Bomb the mosques" is acceptable in.

Original post by pezisland37
X


Well said.
(edited 5 years ago)
The lesson for these disgusting bigots and others like them is that no matter how 'private' you think your words are in the electronic age you are always at risk of being found out.
There are things we should joke about but, in this case, those aren't one of those things. It's quite sickening that in this day and age there's still racism all over. What are the parents teaching their kids and what will these kids teach their children? It's seems as though no matter what we do, all races won't ever be viewed as 'equal'. But, maybe one day...one day.
It's really disheartening that these persons can take something as serious as 'race' and toy with it. I hope they learn from their mistakes to not take something this serious lightly ever again.
Reply 13
If these were Muslim students saying lets bomb the churches there would be far less opposition to their suspensions.

They were right to be suspending for having radical and dangerous views which may have turned into actions had nothing been done.
Original post by Dandaman1
It was edgy, purile crap, and should be regarded as such and let be. Again, it was whoever made it public that caused the harm. There was no need to. It was a private matter until some busybody decided to throw the s**t against the fan to literally nobody's benefit. Doing that made things worse, implicated the university's reputation, and got some otherwise harmless edgelords suspended (potentially affecting their entire futures).


although I kind of agree that some things are better left private.. but these guys are our potential lawyers and although the suspension may not deter them from pursuing this career path, it acc worries me that people who in the future would be in influential and professional positions would hold racist views liek that. I have to say this action kind of reinforces that racism is completely unaccpetable and although i dont agree with controlling people's behaviours, opinions and thought, it's acc more productive that an environement of fear is being fostered to prevent people from saying those kind of things because honestly... racist opinions, freedom of speech or not hold no value or relevance in our society.
Original post by Arima
anyway off topic, some of you are absolutely vile and what sickened me even more than reading the screenshots and the thoughts of the people personally targeted by the people in the group chat, is making the mistake of looking up threads on tsr on the issue. god


100% completely agree, especially since I was one of the first on the thread to condemn on the thread I was very shocked to see that people were justifying their actions.
Yeah I only realised now, when it come up in my suggestions on my thread 😬😶
Reply 17
Original post by Plagioclase
Of course they do? They have a reputation to uphold. Do you seriously think that any reputable university is going to want to give a degree to a racist bigot?



I'd be quite curious to know what context you think "Bomb the mosques" is acceptable in.


Well said.



It was a reference to a movie called 'Four Lions', in which one of the skits is an argument over where they should detonate a bomb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6GLoKkkCtY
Original post by Dandaman1
I'm sorry, but the university really has no damn business suspending students over tasteless jokes shared in private. These students are having their education and their futures damaged over something stupid that harmed no one.

Ironically, the bigger deal that's made of this, the more attention it draws. It needn't have developed into anything that damaged the institution's reputation.


It’s good that attention is being drawn to this as people are realising what goes on in this world and we’re more likely to try to find the reason why people think and say things like this rather than ignoring them and letting racism exist. I have personal chats too, were we have banter without being racist so you could make jokes without being racist. Ignoring it and not paying attention is only letting the problem grow. The private jokes were the real harm. They were laughing at a student, making jokes about him which aren’t funny. How do you think he felt when he seen these messages? How would you feel if people you know, maybe in your class all in a group chat laughing at you and being racist. These things aren’t acceptable. Also add bullying to the list of things that they committed 👿. If the university had never been implicated these students would have continued to be racist so it’s good that it hasn’t been left alone... People show their personalities through messages so what if they are like this in real life and be racist in real life... The whole concept that it’s different when your online compared to real life is false. Your right some things are best left private but why do stupid things that ruin your life and could hurt other people’s feelings. The only thing that happened to them is karma... They laughed at the future of others now there own future is ruined!
You shouldn’t defend their actions because your defending racist, disgusting people and they need to know that their actions and what they said isn’t acceptable regardless whether they say it in private or public.
My point exactly 😊 I hope they permanently suspend them though, as there is no point suspending them for a week and then letting them come back because they will never learn their lesson. It’s depends on how desperate Exeter University is for the money 💰 I guess time will tell...

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