Racist 'Mexican-Themed' Sorority Party Photo Sparks Outrage at Penn State

Theme parties may give us a chance to dress up and poke fun at ourselves, but a photo making the rounds of a Halloween bash at a Penn State sorority is no laughing matter. School officials confirm that university's Chi Omega sorority chapter is currently under investigation after a racist photo emerged from a "Mexican-themed" party igniting criticism, according to the Huffington Post.

In the viral photo, members of the Nu Gamma chapter of Chi Omega wear colorful ponchos, sombreros, and fake moustaches for a party reportedly held around Halloween this year. As the young women mug for the camera, some of the sorority members hold up disparaging, racially-charged signs reading: "Will Mow Lawn For Weed + Beer" and "I Don't Cut Grass, I Smoke It."

The racist photo was reportedly first spotted and reposted by an alternative student blog at Penn State, Onward State. After the image went viral and the Penn State sorority began receiving floods of negative backlash, officials were able to discover the girls' identities through tags on Facebook.

The controversial photo has sparked the ire of the school's Latin culture. Cesar Sanchez Lopez, the vice president of the Mexican American Student Association at the university said that the stereotypes were offensive and "untrue," the Daily Mail reported.

Enraged students tacked up posters around the school, and on the door of Penn State's Fraternity and Sorority Life offices with the offensive photo, captioned "Racial insensitivity - brought to you by Chi Omega" and "We are racist... Chi Omega."

Nu Gamma chapter president Jessica Riccardi has since released a public statement of apology.

"Our chapter of Chi Omega sincerely apologizes for portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes. The picture in question does not support any of Chi Omega's values or reflect what the organization aspires to be," says Riccardi in the statement.

The Daily Mail spoke to Chi Omega's Director of Communications, Whitney Heckathorne who insisted that such behavior was counter-intuitive to the organization's principles and beliefs.

"Chi Omega believes that dignity, self-esteem, and respect are inalienable rights of each individual and neither endorses nor condones behavior that violates our organization's policy on human dignity or the basic tenets of our Sisterhood," said Heckathorne through e-mail.

"The Fraternity believes that personal degradation has no place in our organization, even if such behavior is meant facetiously or in jest. Chi Omega expects its members to share and promote the belief that self-respect, esteem, and a respect for others are necessary ingredients for healthy relationships."

While the sorority has apologized for the racist image, Penn State leaders including Greek Life Director Dr Roy Baker are currently discussing potential punishments for the sorority members, including possible suspension.

Penn State has a relatively small minority population among its student body. According to the university's admissions statistics, the undergraduate student body is comprised of 54 percent men and 46 percent women, but only 15 percent of the population have identified as being a minority.