A University of Kansas sorority put one of its members on probation for posting “unbecoming” conservative values and criticizing Black Lives Matter on social media.
Katherine Lauer, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, was sanctioned by the organization after posting a video of conservative commentator Candace Owens criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement, which started arguments online with other members, according to Fox News.
Documents provided by Lauer show that she was sanctioned for “argumentative communication (verbal or otherwise) with members as a result of your social media posts that disregards different opinions.”
The social media post in question contained comments from Owens referring to Black Lives Matter as “the most flagrantly racist organization in America.”
“Black Lives Matter is an organization of white men, using the faces of dead Black people to raise millions of dollars toward electing White Democrats into positions of power,” Owens said.
When asked why she was put on probation, Lauer says she was told by sorority leadership that the sorority was “not claiming you have broken a bylaw or rule, but that you have had conduct unbecoming of a member of Theta as the values you have been making public through social media and text communications went against Theta’s values and disrespected women of our chapter.”
Lauer told Fox News that she has had other members reach out and show support for her throughout the process.
“At this point, you know, I still don’t know exactly what I’ve done. And to me, I feel like they’re really trying to suppress me and silence me,” Lauer said. “I’ve had actually a lot of Thetas reach out to me and thank me for my post and say that they really appreciated my bravery because a lot of the conservative friends that I have do not feel comfortable speaking their opinion. It’s almost like, you know, where it’s just the environment that everyone feels suppressed.”
Lauer is scheduled to be “reevaluated” during a meeting on Oct. 26.
The sanction placed on Lauer comes weeks after a sorority sister in Texas was removed from her leadership position and reprimanded for posting a video online that showed a sign saying “All Lives Matter.”
“The statement All Lives Matter is extremely hurtful to our sisters and is very unsisterly,” the sorority told Jaycie Barton, a senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha-Lambda Gamma sorority. “ZTA stands for Black Lives Matter and the statement All Lives Matter goes against ZTA’s belief.”
“It’s truly so sad that we live in a world where we can’t voice our opinions and beliefs without being forcefully silenced when you disagree,” Barton said at the time. “Everyone should be entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and 100% allowed to voice them in any form they choose. I am making this public for the principle of the matter. To raise awareness and to show people that this happens every day, especially with college students. It is not OK and something that needs to change.”
