Jake Lang Mocks Black Student In Ape Mask Video While Defending Ole Miss Students

Far right activist Jake Lang posted a video in an ape mask defending three Ole Miss students under investigation for racist gestures at a Black student's home.

Jake Lang has added to a controversy already swirling around the University of Mississippi by posting a video of himself wearing an ape mask. The provocation landed while three Ole Miss students face scrutiny over gestures captured on a doorbell camera outside a Black student's residence.

The footage of the three white students prompted outrage and triggered a university investigation. Lang, in his video, defended them, stating that the girls had done nothing wrong.

He went further in the clip, repeating the ape impersonation and saying he hoped the Black student would check her doorbell camera now.

Lang has drawn criticism recently for disrupting a Diwali event in Seattle. He is among those who entered the Capitol on January 6 and was later issued a presidential pardon by Donald Trump.

The Ole Miss chancellor addressed the wider situation in a statement, saying the university works to ensure students are welcome, safe and valued. He said team members had met and continued to engage with student leaders to hear their concerns and understand the impact of the actions on campus.

He said the focus had been and would remain on supporting the affected students and ensuring their safety and well-being. Upon learning of the November 6 incident that evening, staff responded quickly with care and resources, met the students and their families to explain the process, and the university investigation is moving forward. He said the university believes in holding students accountable through established processes, and noted that federal privacy laws limit what can be shared about individual students and disciplinary outcomes.

The chancellor also addressed the appearance of an unaffiliated individual on campus the previous day, describing the person as having come with the sole purpose of disrupting the university community through racist and detestable behaviour. He said the institution supports First Amendment rights while denouncing the conduct, which he said does not align with campus values. He described the actions as an obvious attempt to antagonise and offend students, and said he was proud of how students responded with integrity and resolve.

One of the students in the original footage, freshman Alaina Kunes, issued an apology, saying she had never met the women before the November 6 incident and was unaware of their race. She said she recognised her actions as insensitive, inappropriate and deeply harmful, and that she would never have intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of colour. She said she had apologised to the women and asked for forgiveness, adding that she cannot fully understand the pain caused.

Kunes said her family had received death threats and harassment over several days, and that she was grateful to authorities working to ensure their safety. She said she intends to cooperate fully with the university's investigation and asked for privacy for her family.

The mother of the Black student has reportedly indicated that further statements will come through the family's attorney. Meanwhile, one of the students, identified as Lauren, has a GiveSendGo fundraiser set up in her name.