Ole Miss Student Apologizes for Racial Taunts Outside Apartment

On November 10, Alaina Kunes apologized for making monkey noises and gestures outside an off-campus apartment shared by three Black students at the University of Mississippi. The incident took place on November 6 and was captured by a Ring camera. The footage, showing three white students passing the apartment, spread online after resident Jakiyra Metcalf posted it.

Kunes said she had not known who lived in the apartment or their race, but acknowledged that her actions were harmful and inappropriate. She said she had apologized directly to the women and would cooperate with the university’s investigation. Kunes also said she and her family had faced harassment and death threats after she was identified online.

A resident, Bethany Joyy, said the women had previously spoken to the students about noise. She described hearing the sounds from inside the apartment and said the students continued after an initial conversation. Joyy said two of the students later apologized, describing their actions as making animal noises for doorbell cameras. She and her roommates reported the matter to their property manager and university officials, and said they wanted to feel safe at home.

The university called the behavior deeply troubling and unacceptable, saying it did not represent its values. It confirmed Kunes was no longer enrolled, but did not say whether she left voluntarily or was removed. The identities of the other two students shown in the footage have not been made public.

Kunes’s family is connected to Wisconsin-based Kunes Auto Group, which operates dealerships in four Midwestern states. The company previously faced protests after a Black customer said a racial slur appeared on her service sticker; another customer earlier this year complained of receiving an apparently racist text from a salesman.

Ole Miss Must Address Racist Conduct and Student Safety

A university community cannot brush aside racial taunts as a misunderstanding. On November 10, Alaina Kunes apologized after footage showed her making monkey noises and gestures outside an off-campus apartment shared by three Black students at the University of Mississippi. The incident occurred on November 6, and resident Jakiyra Metcalf posted the Ring-camera video online.

Kunes said she did not know who lived there or their race, while acknowledging that her actions were harmful and inappropriate. She said she had apologized to the women and planned to cooperate with the university’s investigation. The university condemned the conduct as unacceptable and said Kunes was no longer a student.

Resident Bethany Joyy said the apartment’s residents had previously raised noise concerns with the students, and that the sounds continued after an initial conversation. She said two of the students later apologized and described their actions as animal noises for doorbell cameras. Joyy said the residents reported the incident and wanted to feel safe in their home.

Kunes’s family is connected to Kunes Auto Group, which has faced earlier complaints: a Black customer said a racial slur appeared on her service sticker, and another customer complained of an apparently racist text from a salesman. Those incidents make the need for accountability and serious attention to the students’ safety all the more important. The identities of the other two people shown in the footage have not been made public.

Online Outrage Must Not Replace Fairness in Ole Miss Case

The conduct shown outside a University of Mississippi apartment was harmful and deserved an apology. But the response must also distinguish accountability from online threats and harassment. On November 10, Alaina Kunes said she had apologized to the three Black students who shared the apartment and would cooperate with the university’s investigation.

The video, recorded on November 6 and posted online by resident Jakiyra Metcalf, showed three white students passing the off-campus building. Kunes said she did not know who lived there or their race, while accepting that her behavior was inappropriate. She also said she and her family had received death threats and faced harassment after she was identified online.

The university condemned the actions and confirmed Kunes was no longer enrolled, without saying whether she left voluntarily or was removed. Resident Bethany Joyy said the students had previously been spoken to about noise, and that two later apologized while saying they had been making animal noises for doorbell cameras. The residents reported the incident and said they wanted to feel safe at home.

The university should address the conduct through its investigation, while the public should not turn identification online into threats against a student or her family. Kunes’s family is tied to a Wisconsin dealership group that has faced prior customer complaints, including one involving a racial slur on a service sticker. The identities of the other two students shown in the footage have not been made public.