BATON ROUGE - The LSU Athletics department says photos showing Rouses co-owner Donald Rouse Sr. at last week's protest which ended in a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol are "deeply troubling," but it's unclear if the controversy will affect the university's advertising relationship with the supermarket chain.

On Monday, a university spokesperson released the following statement regarding the situation. 

"We are aware of the news reports concerning Rouse’s connection to the violent, unlawful attacks at the U.S. Capitol and find them deeply troubling. As a public institution, LSU Athletics embraces its obligation to uphold democratic ideals and principles, condemns any assaults upon those ideals, and expects the same of its partners."

Rouse was photographed among the crowd in Washington, D.C. Wednesday. The picture quickly spread across social media, leading many to call for a boycott of the store. 

Rouse released a statement a day after the riot saying he "left before the violence began" and condemned those who violently forced their way into the Capitol building.