Parents and students have tried to defend the University of Texas, Austin, students from angry backlashes they have received do to their spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas where 53 people were infected with coronavirus. Supporters have threatened to call cops on anyone with an angry message to wards the students on social media.
There was a total of 211 students (all in their 20s) who traveled to Cabo San Lucas from March 14 to 19 using both commercial and private flights and now the university's own West Campus outside of Austin has reported 53 members positive when returned to the United States.
The backlash moved swift as actor Matthew McConaughey records a video that urged students to quarantine saying "sorry you've got these responsibilities on you at this time." The Austin group was dubbed as the Cabo 211 and is currently the largest identified group of infected college students who ignored the social-distancing guidelines of Spring Break.
The University of Texas' response
The university had to cancel classes on March 31 and instruction resumed online right after Spring Break. By this time, the UT students went to Cabo and not only was the campus shut down, the City of Austin had then been declared a local state of emergency.
After two weeks from their trip, the west campus was then identified as a hotspot and received harsh criticism online. The UT professor Matthew McConaughey was then forced to intervene with a video posted on April 2, just after the students started testing positive.
The criticism was circulating Kappa Alpha Theta sorority members who were among those who traveled. The members were easily identified by posting on social media with the hashtag #springbreak. The sorority's social media accounts have then been switched to private due to the many comments.
The shocking reaction
"EAT THE RICH" was spray painted along one of the walls of the Texas Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house. pic.twitter.com/2ViTTSs2H1 — Stephen Wagner (@stephenwag22) April 14, 2020
A certain tweet has even shown "eat the rich" was sprayed right outside the wall of the Texas Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority house. The conflict escalated as the spring breakers answering back and a parent even threatening to use legal action against those bashers.
According to Jonathan Valdez, 18, in an interview with Vice, he received a direct message after his tweet "2020 sucked A-S-S, then Texas Theta and their selfish members decided to exist," that stated "We have contacted the Austin police and our attorney!!! These Theta girls DID NOT CHARTER A PLANE!!! Our daughter has been in quarantine for 13 days now."
The very same woman the contacted other UT students in defense of the Texas Theta girls. She has now made her own profile private but the students have been reporting that the woman actually had pictures with the students whose post he commented on.
According to officials from UT, 83 students have tested positive or have been presumed positive for COVID-19. Eight employees have also tested positive for the disease.
