A conservative activist on Monday released an undercover video featuring an honor student at a South Florida University trying to convince officials into allowing a pro-ISIS campus club.
James O’Keefe, who runs Project Veritas, unveiled the video in which the student, senior Laura Loomer, told instructors at Barry University in Miami Shores she wanted to start “the humanitarian club” to help promote education in the Islamic state. O’Keefe alleges the video captured university worker Derek Bley unfazed when the student came to him to begin the process of forming an on-campus organization that would support ISIS.
"It's some pretty shocking material," said O'Keefe, who has made headlines for his videos targeting ACORN, Planned Parenthood and Medicaid.
School officials said Monday any paperwork submitted by the student contained no mention of ISIS and the review process of her submission hadn't reached the next level where it would have been immediately rejected.
"It is reprehensible to think that any organization would acquire video and edit it in such way as to denigrate the reputation of Barry University or its staff," said Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua.
O'Keefe said the student approached his organization and they decided to partner with her. He alleges his organization found the Catholic university basically sanctioned the formation of a pro-ISIS student club.
"The individual who signed the documentation to start the ISIS club I believe is also [the student’s] thesis advisor," O'Keefe said.
O'Keefe said his group did the investigation over the last six weeks. He said never contacted the university after the video was taken.
"It says to me that he is not really interested in Veritas, which is truth," Bevilacqua said. "If he was really interested in the truth about Barry University he would take the time to get to know who we are, what we represent."
The university has been flooded with calls after the video appeared online. Barry said it has damaged a reputation the school and its graduates have spent years building.
Project Veritas told NBC 6 they didn't notify the university or the people being recorded that they were on camera. Florida law requires a person must be notified if they are going to be recorded. NBC Miami is not showing the video taken at the college.
This is the second time Project Veritas has gone after a college on ISIS. Last week O’Keefe released an undercover video showing a Cornell dean who advised another student on how to start and fund a pro-ISIS student club.
