Reports indicate that throughout the play, which is about the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998, some audience members laughed, took pictures on their phone, and some used “derogatory terms” for gay people during the performance. As those familiar with Shepard's story know, he was gay and his homosexuality was the reason for his murder.
The school has condemned the Ole Miss hate speech used by some students and athletes from the University of Mississippi. A group of football players has apologized, but some in the play apparently don't think it was genuine and that the players didn't necessarily seem to even understand what they were apologizing for.
ESPN shared additional details, indicating that The Daily Mississippi initially reported the incident. No specific student names or consequences have been detailed as of yet, but the school is investigating the reports of the Ole Miss hate speech incident. Those tied to the school seem to acknowledge the speech used was clearly inappropriate.
Will the Ole Miss hate speech incident lead to some game suspensions? It seems that is quite likely. While it seems the football players weren't the only ones involved in using derogatory language during the play, they definitely seem to be the focus of the criticism.
