Independent journalist and digital strategist Tom Hennessey has launched a GiveSendGo for Lauren Mayfield, one of the girls accused of racism in the ongoing Ole Miss controversy.“I've been getting tagged and DMed about the Ole Miss girls. If anyone knows them personally, DM me. It looks like they may go after them, and we need to make sure they DON'T APOLOGIZE. This may turn into a fundraiser,” Hennessey wrote after reposting the video of the viral incident.The video, which was caught on a Ring camera, showed Lauren Mayfield and another Ole Miss student, Alaina Kunes, making monkey gestures and noises outside the apartment of Jakiyra Metcalf. A third girl accompanying them, identified as Sara Whitehead, walked behind them but didn’t make any gestures or noises.All three are White, while Metcalf and her two roommates are Black, thus triggering a racism allegation. Jakiyra shared the video on TikTok on November 7.Tom Hennessey’s GiveSendGo titled “Stand with Lauren” has a goal of $20,000. It has raised $9,000 at the time of writing.Exploring the fundraiser supporting Lauren Mayfield amid the Ole Miss controversyNot much is known about Lauren Mayfield except that she is a student of the University of Mississippi’s class of 2030 and is a native of Memphis, Tennessee.Tom Hennessey’s GiveSendGo description reads:“Lauren Mayfield is one of the Ole Miss girls caught on a Ring camera outside of an apartment. While they were walking alone, she and the others allegedly made monkey noises and gestures. The university has opened an investigation and called the behavior ‘deeply troubling, hurtful, and unacceptable.’ One of the others, Alaina Kunes, has already issued the standard groveling apology (‘I was unaware of their race… I pray they will forgive me’). Lauren has not.”Hennessey continued to argue:“She did nothing wrong. She did not assault anyone. She did not break any law. She made noises in a public walkway. The rest is a campus bureaucracy and online mob treating a juvenile stunt as a hate crime because the residents were black. The same institutions that excuse actual violence, riots, and anti-White rhetoric when the identities flip are now treating this as grounds for expulsion, doxxing, death threats, and career destruction.”Tom claimed that the fundraiser would cover lost income/opportunities and anything else required so that Lauren Mayfield “does not have to fold” or issue an apology or “bend the knee.” He added:“This is the pattern. Notice something ordinary or make a crude joke, get identified, then the full apparatus activates: university investigation, kosher media framing as a ‘racist incident,’ pressure to apologize and self-flagellate, and professional/social ruin if you refuse. Lauren has so far refused. That is the only reason this matters… Donate so the next girl (or guy) who gets the same treatment has a reason not to issue the scripted statement.”Tom Hennessey clarified that he would “cancel” the fundraiser if Mayfield disavowed his support or released a public apology.Freshman Alaina Kunes, 18, has apologized for “offending” the Ole Miss community. In her social media statement, the Elkhorn native wrote:“Before the incident on November 6, I never met the women involved and was unaware of their race; however, I recognize my actions were insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful. I would have never intentionally made those noises or gestures toward a person of color. I have apologized to the women and I pray they will forgive me.”Meanwhile, the mother of one of the alleged victims, Tasha Bolton, claimed on Facebook:“My daughter sent me this video from her Ring camera at her apartment. She’s a freshman at the University of Mississippi. She has 2 black roommates. The girls on the video live upstairs from them.”Alaina Kunes continued to say that, while she didn’t understand the “pain” she caused the women, it was unintentional. Kunes added that the girls deserved to be “seen” and “understood” and that what she did wasn’t the “reflection” of who she was “trying to become.”Alaina Kunes is the daughter of Scott Kunes, the former COO of Wisconsin-based auto dealership Kunes Auto Group. Her grandfather, Gregg Kunes, is the founder and owner of the business, which has its own history of racial discrimination against employees and customers. Neither Scott nor Alaina is connected to the family business. Kunes Auto Group shared in a November 9 statement:“The individual in the video has no employment, ownership, or professional affiliation with Kunes Auto Group. We do not comment on private citizens unaffiliated with the company. Our organization is built on treating every person with dignity and respect, and we do our best to live out those values every day.”Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Shawnboda Mead said in a statement:“We are committed to following our established processes to ensure a thorough review while prioritizing the safety and well-being of our campus community.”In a separate statement, Ole Miss noted:“The behavior depicted in this video is deeply troubling, hurtful, and unacceptable. We condemn the behavior as it does not reflect our university's values or the kind of community we strive to be every day.”Meanwhile, Alaina Kunes has claimed that over the last few days, she and her family have received death threats and harassment and were “grateful” that the authorities were trying to ensure their safety.“As I intend to cooperate fully with the University’s investigation, I ask for privacy for my family. I understand the seriousness of this situation and remain committed to taking responsibility and learning from this embarrassing ordeal,” the Ole Miss freshman added.On November 10, Kunes’ attorney Thomas G. Gardiner told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she has withdrawn from Ole Miss.Like Lauren Mayfield, Sara Whitehead has continued to maintain silence on the matter.