Surrounded by black leaders and clergy at an Oklahoma City church on Wednesday, Levi Pettit, the 20-year-old former University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity member, apologized for his part in a racist sing-along that went viral after it was caught on video.
"There are no excuses for my behavior. I never thought of myself as a racist. I never considered it a possibility," Pettit told reporters, according to NBC News. "But the bottom line is that the words that were said in that chant were mean, hateful and racist. I will be deeply sorry and deeply ashamed of what I've done for the rest of my life."
According to NBC News, this was Pettit's first time speaking publicly since the incident, which involved several members of SAE singing a racist chant that exclaimed how there "would never be a n—ger SAE." The song also included lyrics suggesting that lynching an African American was preferable to having one in the frat. After the video of the incident went viral, Pettit and another student, Parker Rice, were expelled and the University of Oklahoma closed down the fraternity.
NBC News notes, "An attorney representing members of the University of Oklahoma SAE chapter said the university has agreed that no other students would be expelled over the song. The university said its investigation into the incident is nearly complete and results would be announced Friday."
Read more at NBC News.