A Pennsylvania college released a statement confirming a student is no longer enrolled following a racist on-campus incident that occurred weeks ago. The incident in question...? Brace yourself, it’s disgusting.
The student publication at Gettysburg College reported that two members of the school’s male swim team were suspended following the Sept. 6 incident. The incident allegedly occurred at an informal gathering with some of the swim team members, according to a family statement published in The Gettysburgian.
At some point, the typical social gathering resulted in one student allegedly carving the N-word onto his teammate’s chest with a box cutter. The family said the student in question was a trusted friend of the victim. Despite the severity of the situation, the family shared concern in the school’s handling of the matter.
“In less than 48 hours after the incident, our son was interviewed by the members of the coaching staff and summarily dismissed (not suspended) from the swim team,” read the statement written to The Gettysburgian. “The punitive action was taken prior to the commencement of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities own investigation. This does not appear to have followed the policies and procedures stated in the Gettysburg College Student-Athlete Manual.”
The family also said they sought other avenues in addressing the incident, including filing complaints through the NAACP Harrisburg chapter and NAACP Pennsylvania conference.
As for the school’s response, President Bob Iuliano said a student conduct report was filed in connection to the incident after upperclass students reported what happened, according to his statement. Iuliano also wrote there was no place on campus “for words or actions that demean, degrade, or marginalize based on one’s identity and history.”
The investigation is ongoing but the latest update is that the suspected box-cutter wielder is no longer enrolled at the college, the school said. The family said they aware they can pursue criminal charges on state and federal levels if they choose. It’s unclear if they have made their decision.