Will these students face discipline for their racist comments in a video?

Two white female college students dressed in Penn State apparel recently posted two videos on social media that repeated the n-word several times in a short period and directed racial slurs at black people.

Hundreds of Penn State students have swiftly condemned the videos and hate-filled speech on social media.

The videos, which are graphic in nature, have been watched more than 30,000 times in a three-hour period on Twitter and have prompted Penn State to release a statement on the videos. William Paterson University in New Jersey, where one of the girls attends school, also released a statement condemning the hate-filled speech.

Penn State said in a statement it would not discipline its student, who could not be independently identified by the Centre Daily Times. Some Penn State students have expressed anger at Penn State's response, calling it a weak stance that shows tolerance for racism.

"Penn State’s embrace of diversity & inclusion, and opposition to prejudice & hate, are clear," Penn State's statement said. "We condemn racist messages, as they are hateful and violate our institutional values. We cannot, however, impose sanctions for constitutionally protected speech, no matter how offensive."

There could be consequences for the William Paterson student, pending an investigation by the university.

"We have learned of videos on social media including one in which a William Paterson student, who is also a leader in our sorority community, makes abhorrent and racially charged statements at a non-university gathering," the statement said. "We are disgusted by this behavior, which does not reflect our values or those we expect from our students. University staff are investigating the matter to determine what actions are appropriate."

Penn State also said it is investigating the "highly offensive language and video."

This story was originally published April 22, 2018 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Will these students face discipline for their racist comments in a video?."