An Ole Miss student has shared Ring camera footage that appears to show two white women making monkey gestures and noises outside her apartment, while a third woman walks behind them. The University of Mississippi said it was investigating the incident.
Jakiyra Metcalf posted the video on Saturday with the caption: “what do we have to say about this?” The footage quickly spread on TikTok and was also shared on Facebook by the mother of one of the students living with Metcalf.
The recording is timestamped November 6 at about 8.37pm. It shows one woman turning towards the apartment door, beating her chest and making monkey noises, before another appears to imitate her by jumping up and down and making similar sounds.
The third woman does not appear to make gestures or noises, but walks behind the pair smiling. Laughter can be heard as all three leave the view of the camera.
Metcalf later wrote that the women were understood to be neighbours living in the apartment above them.
Students say they heard noises from inside their home
Tasha Bolton, who said she was the mother of one of the students, wrote that her daughter was a freshman at the university and shared the apartment with two black roommates.
“My daughter sent me this video from her Ring camera at her apartment,” Bolton wrote. “The girls on the video live upstairs from them. The video has been shared with university administration, and we want answers.”
She added: “This is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. College is supposed to be a place where young adults can learn, grow and feel safe.”
Bethany Joyy, one of the students living in the apartment, said the women had previously been spoken to about noise. She said they had apologised at the time, but that loud stomping resumed after she and her roommates returned to their downstairs home.
Joyy said she was sitting on the sofa when the incident took place and that she and another roommate “HEARD them making the noises from inside the house”. She said the students confronted the women after reviewing the footage and told them their behaviour was disrespectful.
According to Joyy, the noises continued during the confrontation. She said one roommate later encountered the women again, while two of them eventually apologised after the video had been uploaded.
Joyy said the women claimed they had been “stimming” and making animal noises in people’s Ring cameras. She also said they appeared concerned about whether the footage would be deleted.
“We did not make this post to have anyone bashed, nor harassed,” Joyy wrote. “We just deserve to feel safe in our home, just as much as anyone else does.”
She said the incident had been reported to the property manager and university officials.
University of Mississippi investigating video
The video prompted a wave of criticism online, with commenters saying they had contacted the university and calling for the students involved to face consequences. The identities of the women shown have been speculated about on social media but have not been confirmed.
A university representative said the institution was aware of the footage and was investigating. The university condemned what it described as the “offensive, hurtful and unacceptable behaviors” shown in the video.
“We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors and will follow our processes to ensure the well-being and safety of our community,” the representative said.
