Alpha Phi’s University of Mississippi chapter is pushing back against claims linking its members to a viral video of white women making monkey noises outside Black students’ apartment, saying people online confused the women with sorority members who have similar names.
The sorority said the individuals identified in social media posts have never belonged to its organization. It also condemned the racist behavior and urged people to stop circulating its members’ names, photos and personal information.
“Our members are not involved in any way,” the chapter said in a statement posted on its Instagram account.
The denial comes amid growing demands for Ole Miss officials to address footage recorded outside student Jakiyra Metcalf’s apartment. While names and alleged sorority affiliations have spread online, no one has independently confirmed the women’s identities or enrollment status.
Alpha Phi said the apparent mix-up has caused “real distress” to its members, their families and the chapter. It asked people to remove or correct posts falsely identifying its members.
But the sorority also made clear that disputing those claims does not diminish what happened outside the apartment.
“We condemn racist language and conduct of any kind,” the statement read. “Our concern about this misidentification does not make the underlying incident any less serious.”
The chapter said the incident deserves a serious response through university channels. It is working with the university’s Fraternity and Sorority Life office and Alpha Phi’s executive office to correct the record.
The Ring doorbell footage, timestamped 8:37 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, shows three white women approaching the apartment. One beats her chest and makes monkey noises. A second moves closer to the camera and mimics the sounds. The third follows but does not appear to participate before walking away.
Metcalf posted the recording on TikTok, tagging Ole Miss and asking, “What do we have to say about this??”
The footage quickly drew millions of views and demands for accountability. Hours later, Metcalf added another troubling detail.
“We just found out they are our upstairs neighbors,” she wrote.
Tasha Bolton, who identified herself on Facebook as the mother of one of the residents, said her daughter is a freshman living with two Black roommates. She also said the women in the recording live upstairs.
Bolton said university administrators had received the footage, and she wanted answers about what would happen next.
“Specifically, what steps will be taken to address this behavior and ensure accountability?” she wrote.
“This is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. College is supposed to be a place where young adults can learn, grow, and feel safe.”
Bolton also had a blunt message for anyone willing to excuse the behavior.
“If you watch this video and genuinely don’t see anything wrong with this type of behavior, please delete me. We clearly don’t share the same values.”
No public university response to the recording was located as of Sunday morning, Nov. 8. It remains unclear whether administrators have opened a disciplinary investigation or confirmed who appears in the footage.
The incident echoes another racist confrontation that brought national attention to Ole Miss in May 2024.
During a campus protest against the war in Gaza, a white counterprotester made monkey noises and gestures toward a Black woman. Phi Delta Theta subsequently removed a member, and the university opened a student conduct investigation.
