Ole Miss Student’s Fundraiser Tops $95,000 After Doorbell Video Sparks Backlash

An online fundraiser for a University of Mississippi student has raised more than $95,000 after a doorbell video showing students making monkey noises outside an apartment where three Black women lived drew widespread criticism.

The Nov. 6 video showed three white Ole Miss students outside the apartment. Two of the women made monkey noises and beat their chests, conduct that viewers described as racist and directed at the residents.

The university condemned the behavior and opened an investigation. One of the students later apologized and withdrew from Ole Miss, saying she had been unaware of the residents’ race.

Tom Hennessey launched the GiveSendGo campaign, titled “Stand with Lauren,” to support Lauren Mayfield, one of the three women in the video. Hennessey argued that Mayfield had done nothing wrong and was being unfairly targeted by the university and online critics.

The campaign said the money was intended to cover potential lost income or job opportunities stemming from the backlash. Hennessey said he reserved the right to cancel the fundraiser if Mayfield declined the support or issued an apology.

On Reddit, critics questioned why the campaign had raised so much money without identifying any financial losses Mayfield had already suffered. Others took issue with the possibility that an apology could cost her the fundraiser and said the campaign overlooked the women who lived in the apartment.

“I hate when bad behavior is rewarded,” one Reddit user wrote in a post sharing a screenshot of the fundraiser. Another wrote, “People really just got money to waste jesus.”