Yet another person supposedly meant to help foster the education of students in hot water for having their naked racism captured on tape.
Over the weekend, in a 40-second video posted to social media, Jonathan Spanos, a Pennsylvania-based white man, is seen going on a racist tirade after a dispute with an unidentified man and woman in the middle of the street.
In the video, he can be heard spewing the N-word multiple times, specifically saying, “Your half-n****r brother” referencing someone not shown on camera.
When the person recording says, “You said the N-word on camera, that’s gonna be great for you,” Spanos says, “I am. I am a racist.”
The caption of the tweet reads, “This is Jonathan Spanos owner of the Paddock on Market in York, PA. Advisory Board member for Penn State York. Gets in a road rage incident, commits assault and then starts yelling the N word out in public. What a despicable person.”
Days after the post, Penn State York responded on X, writing, “Jonathan Spanos is no longer a member of the Penn State York Advisory Board.”
It added later in a separate response, “This hateful language has no place in our community and is not reflective of the University’s values or our desire to foster an inclusive environment. The appropriate offices at Penn State have been notified and we are looking into this matter with urgency.”
Instances of university professors or officials saying something racist or discriminatory on tape are not uncommon -- apparently especially in Pennsylvania: In October, a University of Pennsylvania law professor said that the United States would be better off with “more white people and less non-whites.” She was suspended for a year with half-pay.
In September 2020, a professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh was placed on leave after a video showing him using the N-word and giving permission for students to use it well was posted to social media.