The campaign, titled “Help Sara Whitehead Fly Home to California,” was reportedly created by someone identifying himself as Whitehead’s uncle. He describes his niece as the third woman seen walking alongside the two students making monkey noises and gestures in the November 6 recording.
Unlike the other two women, the third person in the footage does not appear to make the noises or gestures captured by the Ring doorbell camera. However, the university has not publicly confirmed Whitehead’s identification as that person.
Now, the fundraising appeal is making claims about what allegedly happened behind the scenes after the video sparked nationwide outrage.
According to the person claiming to be Whitehead’s uncle, the women are no longer on speaking terms.
“The girls are no longer friends,” the fundraising description states.
The writer claims the other two women have abandoned his niece amid the controversy. He also alleges that at least one of them created a GoFundMe campaign that blamed Whitehead for what happened.
Those allegations have not been independently confirmed.
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A separate GiveSendGo fundraiser titled “Stand with Lauren” has been established in support of Lauren Mayfield, another woman identified through online discussions about the footage. However, that campaign lists Tom Hennessey as its organizer, not one of the women involved.
The Sara Whitehead fundraiser also makes serious claims about her status at the University of Mississippi.
The appeal states that Whitehead has faced expulsion and is no longer permitted on campus. However, it later says her family is attempting to get her reinstated at the school.
Ole Miss has not publicly confirmed that Whitehead was expelled, suspended, or banned from campus. University officials have explained that federal student privacy protections restrict the information they can release about disciplinary proceedings.
The person behind the appeal also alleges that campus officials pressured Whitehead into apologizing. He says the family is withdrawing that apology because they believe she did not commit a crime.
Neither the alleged forced apology nor the family’s account of disciplinary action has been independently verified.
The appeal further claims that Whitehead and her relatives have received death threats following the video’s circulation.
“Our whole family has received death threats, but we are not backing down,” the campaign description states.
The writer says the family is less financially comfortable than the families of the other two women and needs assistance paying for Whitehead’s relocation.
Donations would reportedly cover a plane ticket to California, where Whitehead could stay with her aunt and uncle while attempting to continue her college education at another institution.
The fundraising text does not identify a specific school where she plans to enroll.
Meanwhile, the November 6 incident remains under investigation at Ole Miss.
The original Ring camera recording was shared by student Jakiyra Metcalf, who lives in the apartment with Kaiyden Caldwell and Victoria G. Johnson. The footage shows two white women approaching the camera, making monkey noises and beating their chests before walking away with a third woman.
During a November 11 interview on CBS Mornings, Metcalf and Johnson said they confronted the women shortly afterward. According to their account, one apologized while another continued making the offensive gestures.
The three Black students described the incident as hurtful and said they intend to remain at Ole Miss.
Alaina Kunes, who publicly acknowledged being one of the women making the gestures, issued an apology on November 10. She said her actions were inappropriate and harmful, while maintaining that she had not known the race of the apartment’s residents.
Kunes subsequently withdrew from the university.
In a November 8 campus statement, Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead condemned the behavior shown in the recording and confirmed that university offices were investigating.
Mead also warned that at least one student had been incorrectly identified online and urged people to avoid spreading unverified information.
The Sara Whitehead fundraiser presents another account of the fallout from the video, this time alleging family hardship, disciplinary consequences, and a fractured friendship among the women who appeared together.
The $20,000 appeal’s claims about Whitehead’s expulsion, her family’s relationship to the organizer, and the alleged conflict between the women remain unverified. The university’s investigation into the original incident is ongoing.
