Students at the University of Florida were excited to receive their diplomas this weekend, but the celebration turned sour and the university is under fire after an unnamed white UF official was caught on video pulling black students off of the stage as they were celebrating their achievement.
Multiple videos surfaced online of the unnamed man pulling the students as soon as they began celebrating their big moment, with many viewers calling for the man to be identified and fired.
“Somebody please find out this employee’s name,” one Twitter user wrote. “Every time a Black student took more than TWO seconds, he aggressively pushed them. Watch it for yourself.”
Check out the video below:
Video from graduation ceremony at the University of Florida shows a lecturer aggressively yanking several minority students off the stage. pic.twitter.com/PJhRcTC24T
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Trump Russia
(@TrumpEra_2017) May 7, 2018
Trump Russia
(@TrumpEra_2017) Another angle shows the man flinging students across the stage in a more aggressive manner.
University of Florida: Video shows the graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas as their names are called.
But when some students take a moment to do a celebratory dance, a white male in regalia aggressively grabs them to move them along. pic.twitter.com/1sQ90ewlao
—
Trump Russia
(@TrumpEra_2017) May 7, 2018
Florida addressed the situation with a statement from university president W. Kent Fuchs:
“During one of this weekend’s commencement ceremonies, we were inappropriately aggressive in rushing students across the stage. I personally apologize, and am reaching out to the students involved. The practice has been halted for all future ceremonies, and we will work to make sure all graduating students know we are proud of their achievements and celebrate with them their graduation.”
Another official university statement read, “The University is proud of the achievements of every single one of our graduates and regrets that any celebration of the day may have been diminished by those monitoring a graduation ceremony.”
You can view photos from the University of Florida graduation below: