Members of the Black Student Union gathered in the quad Friday to read a statement supporting student Bonita Tindle and condemning SF State and the media for endangering Tindle.

“We, the Black Student Union do not support the mass publication of videos, articles and any other statements that misrepresent this incident,” the statement read. “This misrepresentation has led to racist, homophobic and misogynistic slurs being directed at members of our organization.”

Tindle was the subject of a viral video published March 28, which showed her involved in a confrontation with student Cory Goldstein over his dreadlocks, which she claimed are cultural appropriation. The video has since garnered over 3 million views on YouTube and sparked a contentious debate over whether a white person wearing dreadlocks is cultural appropriation.

After the video’s publication, SF State released a statement acknowledging the incident and announcing their plans for appropriate action.

“We are taking the matter seriously and will promptly and thoroughly investigate this incident through applicable University channels, including our campus student conduct procedures,” Jonathan Morales, director of news and new media at SF State, said in a statement issued the day after the incident.

The incident, which is still being investigated by SF State, has led to a wave of backlash against Tindle and the black community that the BSU called “appalling.”

“The publication of a young woman’s personal information, such as her home address or her cell phone number, is a despicable attack on her personal privacy and safety,” the statement read. “We must ask ourselves … why did a disagreement between two individuals become an incident which the black community must answer for?”

The BSU criticized the media for wanting to cover the incident and for failing to present a well-rounded report of everything that happened. They also called on SF State to investigate the whole incident instead of only what was presented in the video and treat Tindle fairly during the investigation.

“Our ultimate goal is to educate, liberate and advance the progression of our people and all people,” the statement read. “We want the University to ensure that (Tindle) is safe on this campus, given the threats declared against her.”