‘First to spell n***** wins hangman’: Uni investigates housemates’ racist chat

One of the chat members said it was just ‘banter between two lads’

4 years ago

The University of Chester is investigating a housemate group chat after a number of racist comments were revealed.

“For the chunder chart, gonna do it like hangman,” the messages read. “Every time you chunder you get a letter. First to spell n***** wins.”

The screenshot of the messages, taken from a Snapchat group named “Big Bullies,” was shared widely on Twitter by one of the housemates, who told The Tab the Black Lives Matter movement had encouraged him to speak out.

According to members of the house the messages were sent in September 2019, when the housemates were in their second year at Chester.

A member of the chat not featured in the screenshot told The Tab the messages were “just banter between two lads.”

Two more boys are featured in the screenshot. One of them replied to the message: “Love that.”

The other said: “Wouldn’t it be last one wins?”

The former added: “Nah. I reckon first one would mean we go for it more.”

The boy behind the original message replied: “First one and last one have a drink-off at the end. Loser does a forfeit.”

Raz, the housemate who leaked the screenshot, told The Tab seeing the Black Lives Matter movement made him want to stand up for himself and the racism he received living with the boys from the chat.

He said: “The only reason I kept it quiet was that they were all racist towards me on their terms, it was ‘as a joke.”

“Since I was living with them too it was hard to do something about it.”

Raz added: “When I saw the unity of #BLM all over the world it lit a fire inside of me to stand up for myself and others oppressed by racism no matter what, I was living in fear and in silence for too long.”

The Tab reached out to the three housemates who appeared in the screenshot for comment. One who hadn’t been pictured maintains he didn’t say anything.

“Obviously it’s not okay to be a bystander, I get that,” he said. “All my life I’ve been into anti-fascism. I was on marches at the age of 14.”

The incoming third-year told The Tab the other boys had “dropped messages down their society group chats” apologising.

“The way I see it, it happened in September and now he’s jumping on it,” he said. “It’s not okay, of course it’s not okay, but it was literally like a – it’s not a joke, it’s not funny is it?

“But you know what I’m trying to say. It was just a little banter between two lads.”

Spokespeople for the University of Chester and Chester Students’ Union said: “Following both organisations’ support for Black Lives Matter and Blackout Tuesday it has been brought to our attention that unacceptable historic online content is circulating which purports to be from a student.

“The position taken by both the University of Chester and Chester Students’ Union on racism has consistently been absolutely clear, in that both take a zero-tolerance approach, with prompt investigation and disciplinary proceedings where an allegation can be proved.

“The University has begun its investigation; the first stage of which is to verify the authenticity of the social media post and the background to its circulation.”

The boys in the chat have been approached for further comment.

‘First to spell n***** wins hangman’: Uni investigates housemates’ racist chat

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