Interim president of the University of Oregon Patrick Phillips issued a statement condemning the vulgar, anti-Mormon chant from the student section during last week’s game against BYU.
Phillips, who has been the school’s interim president for one month, penned a letter to “University of Oregon community members” in which he condemned the chant and said: “It angers me. It disgusts me.”
Multiple videos posted to social media on Saturday night showed some fans in an area of Autzen Stadium where a portion of the Oregon student section is typically located shouting a vulgar anti-Mormon chant.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox commented on Twitter: “Religious bigotry alive and celebrated in Oregon.” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared the incident “unacceptable.”
The University of Oregon and the Pit Crew, Oregon’s student section, issued apologies for the incident.
UO athletic director Rob Mullens publicly apologized Monday afternoon during an appearance on the school’s in-house radio program, saying, “That is not who we are. That is not what we stand for.”
BYU issued a statement on Monday as well.
“We appreciate the sincere apology from the University of Oregon regarding the behavior of some fans at Autzen Stadium on Saturday,” the school tweeted. “We recognize that this isolated behavior does not reflect the values of the University of Oregon. As we all work together to address incidents that seek to divide us, we are grateful for those who are willing to come together to build bridges of understanding.”
Below is the full letter from Phillips:
Dear University of Oregon community members,
During Saturday’s football game against Brigham Young University, a small group of fans started a chant that targeted and denigrated members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meanwhile on the field, both teams were engaged in an exciting game, which itself was preceded by the BYU players graciously honoring the memory of UO football player Spencer Webb. What a shame that the hard work and earnest effort of so many might be overshadowed by the egregious behavior of so few.
Directly harassing someone based on their religious beliefs violates our core value of full inclusion as a university. I am grateful that the Oregon Pit Crew, our student fan organization, immediately issued an apology about the incident. It is worth considering how corrosive this kind of behavior can truly be to each of us. While some might see these chants as being directed against an opponent from another school, they are also an attack on all members of our community. There are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on our own football team, and we know there were members of that faith wearing green and yellow sitting right next to those chanting on Saturday. How did they feel in that moment? I hope that everyone will reflect on the reality that, what may seem like a lark to some, tells someone else in our community that they are not welcome, and that they should be afraid based on who they are and what they believe. Our path toward true inclusion starts with empathy for how others might be experiencing a given incident or interaction.
These actions remind us that discrimination can affect each of us along some dimension of our lives — faith, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical or cognitive ability, socioeconomic background — but for some, it is part and parcel of their daily experience, and it can weigh heavily. We have students from all backgrounds at the UO. Without question, some have been more vulnerable to discrimination than others, as are many of the groups of faculty and staff who have spoken to me over the last few years with true distress in their voices.
I condemn the behavior of these fans on Saturday. It angers me. It disgusts me. It also provides a moment to remind ourselves that these actions, as well as any other actions of a similar flavor, are anathema to who we are as a community. These types of incidents call upon us to stand up against such behavior when we witness it — a task made easier when we stand together. This is who we seek to be as a university, and the standard to which we hold ourselves. We will continue to educate our community about our values and how to live them in words and actions.
Patrick Phillips
Interim President and Professor of Biology
