Oklahoma Virtual Graduation Hacked With Racial Slurs and Swastikas

Some schools have chosen to do virtual graduation, someone decided to hack one just north of us over the weekend.

This past Saturday, Oklahoma City University held their virtual graduation. Families, faculty, and students were tuned in online for the big day. I know everybody would probably prefer getting up on stage and getting their diploma. This is what they had to do right now because of the coronavirus. However, someone had to ruin this big day for everyone.

At one point during the graduation, Jay Williams (a student at Oklahoma City University) was saying a prayer. All of the sudden, the screen went black for everybody. When the feed returned, it featured a racial slur and a swastika on the screen.  “My grandma and my mom and everything saw it, and they were really heartbroken by it,” said graduate Leondre Lattimore.

The graduation ceremony did not get to finish and some students did not even get to see their name displayed on their big day. Oklahoma City University President Martha Burger expressed her heartbreak and outrage on social media. She also said the university made a report to federal and state authorities.

“OCU stands against racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism,” Burger said. "Although we took safety precautions, unfortunately, the digital platform we used to connect has become a target.” Lattimore and Williams say the incident is not taking away from what they and their fellow graduates worked so hard for. "Despite the hate, you can't take away what we earned, and that's the degree," Lattimore said. Well said Leondre.