A student at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania who scratched a racial slur on the body of the only black member of the school’s men’s swimming team is no longer enrolled there.
Two students at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania were initially suspended from the swim team after a report emerged detailing how the offensive slur was scratched onto a student’s skin.
The victim’s family said a box cutter was used, while officials at the 2,200-student private liberal arts school in Gettysburg had previously described the instrument as “a plastic or ceramic tool.”
It is not yet clear whether the victim was held down during the attack or whether he resisted.
The perpetrator and victim have both been suspended from the swimming team pending the investigation. The perpetrator has since left the school entirely.
A student at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania who scrawled a racial slur on the body of the only black member of the school’s men’s swimming team has been removed from his position (file photo)
The incident occurred on September 6 during a swim team meeting at an “informal social gathering in a dorm on campus”
It is unclear whether the perpetrator was expelled from school or left school voluntarily.
“This reprehensible act was committed by a fellow student-athlete, someone he considered a friend, someone he trusted. This student used a box cutter to carve the N-word across his chest,” the family said in a statement.
The family said she was considering filing criminal charges and had involved the civil rights group NAACP and filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations.
“Our son did not choose to have a hateful, racist slur scrawled on his chest, but he did choose not to return the hate,” the family said.
The incident occurred on September 6 during a swim team meeting during an “informal social gathering in a dorm on campus” and was first reported by other students on the swim team, according to Gettysburg College President Robert Iuliano.
Iuliano described feeling “deeply saddened by what happened” and the impact it had on those who have long been underrepresented on campus, as well as the consequences “for a community that continues to strive to create a truly inclusive environment.”
“I was really shocked. This school doesn’t have a place for incidents like this. And when I heard about it, I just couldn’t believe it,” one student told WGAL
“Even though we talk all the time about inclusion and not doing that stuff anymore, it’s 2024. You can’t do that stuff anymore,” another student added
“Regardless of the relationship and motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that denigrate, degrade or marginalize anyone based on their identity and history,” he said in a statement, warning against speculation “based on snippets of information that may or may not be accurate.”
“The investigation is nearly complete and we can now report that the individual who wrote an insult to another person is no longer enrolled at the university,” Anne Ehrlich, vice president of student life, wrote in an email to the entire campus. The Gettysburgian reported.
“This is a serious report, which is being actively assessed through the student conduct process,” the university said.
‘At this time, the students involved are not participating in swim team activities.’
City Police Chief Robert Glenny Jr. said he also contacted the college after hearing news reports and was told that the victim had chosen to handle the matter through the college’s internal process, despite the fact that college officials had encouraged the individual to report the matter to the police.
At least 2,200 students are enrolled at the private liberal arts school in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The school has so far declined to release further details, citing that process and privacy laws.
“I was really shocked. This school has no place for incidents like this. And when I heard about it, I just couldn’t believe it,” one student told WGAL.
“Pretty disgusting. It’s just kind of sad that this kind of stuff still happens. Even though we talk about inclusion all the time and how we shouldn’t do this stuff anymore, it’s 2024. You can’t do this stuff anymore. It’s just sad to see people still thinking and acting like this. We can’t have that,” another student added.
Gettysburg is best known as the site of an 1863 Civil War battle that killed thousands of people and where President Abraham Lincoln delivered a moving speech four months later. The town is located about 140 miles west of Philadelphia.