University of Texas at Austin students expressed outrage this week following a social media post by Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner. Over the weekend, French shared an image depicting a group of UT-Austin students, a significant number of whom appeared to be of South Asian descent. The post included a caption stating, “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t…”

Students and critics have characterized the post as “blatantly racist,” arguing that the candidate was using the demographic composition of the student body to imply something negative about the university or the graduation process. The incident has sparked a broader conversation on campus regarding political rhetoric and the representation of minority students in higher education.

While the student response has been vocal, Bo French has not yet issued a formal public apology or a detailed clarification regarding the intent behind the post. The situation highlights ongoing tensions between student groups and political figures who utilize social media to comment on cultural and demographic shifts within public institutions. As of Monday, the university administration had not released an official statement addressing the specific post, though student organizations continue to call for accountability regarding the candidate's public messaging.