Ole Miss Investigates Viral Video of Students Mimicking Monkeys Outside Black Student's Apartment

The University of Mississippi is actively investigating a viral video that captures three white female students making monkey noises and gestures outside the apartment of a Black student.

Footage from a Ring doorbell camera, posted to TikTok by resident Jakiyra Metcalf, shows two women stepping toward the lens on Friday evening. They are seen beating their chests while grunting and cooing. A third woman stands nearby, glancing at the camera, though she does not appear to participate in the mimicking. The clip had accumulated over 12 million views by early Monday afternoon.

Vice Chancellor Shawnboda Mead confirmed in a Monday statement that the incident is under review by appropriate university offices. The administration has contacted the affected students to offer support and connect them with resources. Mead stated that every student deserves to feel safe and respected, noting that racism and actions that disparage people based on identity have no place in the campus community.

The university told ABC News that the women in the video are enrolled students. However, the school did not specify whether disciplinary action had been taken, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. This federal law protects student conduct cases and records from public disclosure. Ole Miss condemned the behavior as offensive and unacceptable in a separate statement to ABC News.

Jakiyra Metcalf, who lives in the apartment, said she and other residents were expected to meet with university officials on Monday. She posted the video over the weekend with the caption, "What do we have to say about this ??", tagging the university. Tasha Bolton, the mother of another Black resident in the apartment, said the women in the video live upstairs in the same building. Bolton asked for answers on how the school would address the behavior and ensure accountability, describing the incident as disgusting and unacceptable.

This is not the first time the university has dealt with similar allegations. In 2024, a white student directed monkey gestures at a Black woman protesting the war in Gaza. That incident was also captured on video. Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce responded at the time by noting the university's commitment to First Amendment rights while also stating that behaviors demeaning people based on race conflict with institutional values. The student involved in the 2024 incident was expelled from his fraternity.

The current investigation focuses on the specific actions captured in the new footage. The university has not released a timeline for completing the review or determining the final outcome for the students involved. The three women identified in the video have not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident.