Ole Miss Investigates Video of Students Making Monkey Noises

Ring-camera footage shared by University of Mississippi student Jakiyra Metcalf appears to show two women making monkey noises and gestures outside her apartment on November 6. A third woman walks past them. Metcalf posted the video on TikTok the following day, and said in a comment that the women were her upstairs neighbors.

Bethany Joyy, who lives in the apartment with Metcalf and another student, said the roommates heard the noises and later confronted the women. Joyy said the women continued making the sounds during the exchange, then two came back to apologize after the video had been posted. She said they asked whether it would be deleted.

Joyy said the women described their actions as “stimming” and said they made animal noises in people’s Ring cameras. She also said the roommates had previously spoken with the women about noise, and that the matter was brought to the property manager and university officials. The roommates said they want to feel safe at home and did not want anyone harassed.

The video drew widespread attention online, with viewers calling for consequences. The university said it is investigating and condemned the behavior shown as “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable.” It said it had contacted the students targeted to offer information, resources and support, and would follow its processes to protect the community. The women’s identities have not been confirmed.

Ole Miss Must Address Racist Conduct and Protect Students

A video appearing to show women making monkey noises and gestures outside a University of Mississippi student’s apartment is a stark test of whether students can feel safe in their own homes. Jakiyra Metcalf shared the Ring-camera footage on November 7, after the incident the previous evening, and said the women were upstairs neighbors.

Bethany Joyy, one of the apartment’s residents, said the roommates heard the noises, confronted the women and told them the behavior was disrespectful. Joyy said the women continued making the sounds during the exchange, then two returned to apologize after the video went online. She said they asked whether it would be deleted.

Joyy said the women claimed they were “stimming” and making animal noises in people’s cameras. That explanation does not erase the roommates’ account of what they experienced or their right to feel safe at home. The residents brought the matter to the property manager and university authorities and said they did not want anyone harassed.

The university says it is investigating, condemns the conduct as “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable,” and has offered the targeted students support. That is a start; the school’s response must take seriously the harm its students describe while following its processes. The footage has prompted widespread calls online for accountability.

Ole Miss Should Investigate Video Carefully and Fairly

The University of Mississippi has an obligation to investigate a troubling video without turning online outrage into a substitute for a fair process. Footage posted by student Jakiyra Metcalf on November 7 appears to show two women making monkey noises and gestures outside her apartment the previous evening; a third woman walks past.

Bethany Joyy, who lives in the apartment, said the residents confronted the women and told them the behavior was disrespectful. She said two women later returned to apologize and asked whether the video would be deleted. Joyy also said the women described their actions as “stimming” and making animal noises in people’s cameras.

The university has condemned the behavior shown in the footage as “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable.” It says it is investigating and has contacted the students targeted to offer support. Those statements recognize the residents’ concerns while leaving the school to assess the incident through its own processes.

Online users have called for consequences, but identities circulating on social media have not been confirmed. The roommates say they reported the incident and want to feel safe at home. The university should address that concern, establish what happened and apply its procedures rather than let online pressure dictate the outcome.