South Dakota State President Barry Dunn released a statement Tuesday afternoon acknowledging the “painful” situation and promising the university is taking it seriously after a racist video surfaced on social media early Saturday morning.

“I am writing today to address the circumstances surrounding a video that was made public this past weekend,” Dunn said in the statement.

The president also said that he is limited in what he can share at the time, but added that the university is working with various university offices to fully investigate and respond in accordance with university policies and law.

“The matter continues to be taken seriously by university leadership and those working through the appropriate review process,” Dunn said.

The video was posted on Snapchat on a story called “SDSU 2026.” The story is not affiliated with the university, but the platform does feature videos and posts related to South Dakota State University. According to Snapchat, anyone who wants to view or post on the story must have an SDSU-related email.

The 46-second video appears to be shot in a bar where several young men, who appear to be white, make racist comments and what appear to be threats against Black people. The video includes racist slurs, disparaging language and threats to lynch and kill Black people.

The video has since been deleted.

Jonathan Gaston-Falk is a staff attorney at the Student Press Law Center. Contacted Tuesday, he told Collegian Media some of the things said in the video might not be protected by the First Amendment.

Hate speech generally is not restricted speech under the First Amendment because it’s rooted in opinion, he said. But statements made by the subjects in the video, including threats to injure or even kill black people, might land outside the protection of the First Amendment.

“There are a couple of statements that may be considered to rise to the level of threats when the speaker is talking about killing or injuring people,” Gaston-Falk said.

The video captured significant media attention and was the subject of numerous social media posts. KELO-TV’s Facebook post about the video got more than 300 comments. Many of those comments debated what kind of speech is protected under the First Amendment.

Students’ Association President Sophie Spier said that kind of hate speech has no place at SDSU. She added that the conduct in the video is not a true representation of the students at the university.

“As the student body at SDSU, we must continue to respect our peers and actively foster a community where every student feels safe, valued and supported,” Spier said.

While Dunn acknowledged the video was inappropriate, he also asked for restraint and urged people not to take matters into their own hands.

“Retaliation of any kind against individuals being investigated or those who report concerns, participate in an investigation or express their perspectives in good faith [during the investigation process] will not be tolerated,” Dunn said. “This expectation is essential to maintaining trust and accountability within our university.”

Dunn said it’s the university’s responsibility to uphold the standards of respect and civility. He wanted people to know that if they feel affected, there is support available and people to talk to.

Students are encouraged to connect with SDSU Counseling Services. Benefits-eligible employees have access to confidential support through the Employee Assistance Program.

“Situations like this can be difficult and painful for members of our community,” Dunn said.