Kodali calls French's comments "disturbing" and "narrow-minded"
Rahul KodaliUT Austin student pictured in the post
Rahul Kodali, a UT Austin student pictured in Bo French's post, called French's comments "especially disturbing" and "narrow-minded," saying every UT student "deserves to be there."
“especially disturbing ... narrow-minded”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?
After the University of Texas football team’s September 12, 2026 comeback win over Ohio State, Republican Railroad Commission nominee Bo French posted a still image of apparent South Asian fans and called what it showed a “problem.” He later said social media was exposing Americans being displaced by foreigners and accused UT of prioritizing foreigners over Texans. French and several supporters framed the posts as a legitimate criticism of immigration and admissions policy. Republican and Democratic officials, along with other commentators, condemned the use of the fans’ appearance as racist or xenophobic. Governor Greg Abbott rejected French’s interpretation of the image while reaffirming support for restrictive immigration policies.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth report in which Rahul Kodali, a UT Austin student pictured in Bo French's post, responds on the record.
Before the quotation
Speaking to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth after being identified as one of the students pictured in French's post.
After the quotation
No further public follow-up had been reported as of this writing.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Kodali, a student directly pictured in French's post, condemns French's comments as disturbing and narrow-minded, a direct, personally-affected response to the conduct under scrutiny.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Bo French
More from this case
Read the full caseRosenthal calls donations a rejection of French
“The people are rejecting this bold, racist campaign of his.”Read statement
Krishnamoorthi calls French’s UT fan post a xenophobic attack
“The Department of Education seems to be playing dog whistles to Bo French’s tune just days after his xenophobic attack on South Asian students for cheering for their own college football team. South Asian Americans are as American as anyone.”Read statement
French says his UT fan posts were about culture, not race
“It’s fair to say that Texas doesn’t look and feel like it did when I was a kid, and that’s not racist.”Read statement
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- Kodali calls French's comments "disturbing" and "narrow-minded"
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The Dispute Index. "Kodali calls French's comments "disturbing" and "narrow-minded"". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-17. https://disputeindex.com/events/815-rahul-kodali-a-ut-austin-student-pictured-in