A comment left on Karen Civil’s Instagram page has turned into a social media firestorm and drawn the attention of Barry University.
On Friday morning, December 5, Karen Civil posted a photo from a speaking engagement at Western Michigan University, along with a message about police brutality and the deaths of Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice. According to Karen, a commenter identified as Daniella, a Barry University law student, replied that African Americans should get over it. Karen said she asked the commenter to leave her page and was then met with a racial slur. Karen shared screenshots with her followers, and the comments quickly spread online.
Karen said her followers contacted Barry University, and the school responded with statements on its Facebook page. According to Karen, one statement said the student’s phone had been stolen and her account hacked. Karen said she was disappointed by that response and felt it was a missed chance for the university to speak out against racism.
Daniella’s side of the story has shifted in public. She was reported to have first said her Instagram account was hacked and later that her phone was lost or stolen. She also posted a statement from a new account, in which she said she apologized for the misunderstanding and denied being racist. Baller Alert has not independently confirmed who wrote the original comment or how it was posted. Coverage has also appeared in the Miami Herald and on CNN, according to reports at the time.
Karen issued a statement to the media explaining her account of events. She said her post was about the rights of Americans to feel protected and safe, and that she hopes everyone can learn from the experience.
Barry University has not announced any further action. We will update this story if the school or the student shares more.
