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Southern Miss band chants 'Where's your green card?"

By Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY
Updated

Kansas State guard Angel Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico. Keep that in mind as you watch Rodriguez get ready to take a free throw during Thursday's game against Southern Miss in the video below.

As Rodriguez is walking to the free throw line, you can hear pretty clearly, people chanting, "Where's your green card?" at Rodriguez.

Reporters at the game tweeted that Southern Miss band members were the ones chanting.

(By the way, band members, a quick geography lesson: Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. If you're born in Puerto Rico, you're an American citizen.)

Rodriguez scored 13 points and had four assists in K-State's win over Southern Miss.

UPDATE: Southern Miss president Martha Saunders released the following statement Thursday afternoon:

"We deeply regret the remarks made by a few students at today's game. The words of these individuals do not represent the sentiments of our pep band, athletic department or university. We apologize to Mr. Rodriquez and will take quick and appropriate disciplinary action against the students involved in this isolated incident."

(Another "ugh" moment for the school: Saunders misspelled Rodriguez's name.)

Southern Miss interim athletic director Jeff Hammond met with Kansas State athletic director John Currie Tuesday afternoon to express the university's regret over the matter.

"I want to enunciate to him that the band's behavior does not represent Southern Miss," Hammond said.

Hammond said he planned to meet with the band and make sure they understand "that is not who we are."

Hammond said that he planned on taking the band director to meet with Rodriguez and possibly Kansas State coach Frank Martin.

"I want to reach out to Conference USA and anyone else who is impacted by this and take full responsibility for this," Hammond said. "This does not represent the state or university. This is not acceptable."

The band director put a stop to the chant and apologized to a reporter nearby who recorded it, according to Hammond.

Contributing: Patrick Magee, The Hattiesburg American

(H/T The Big Lead, Buzzfeed)

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