Two students have been suspended from the swim team at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania after a report that a racial slur was scratched onto another student’s body. College officials said the incident is “deeply concerning” and that the slur was scratched onto the student using a plastic or ceramic tool. The students involved are not participating in swim team activities while the incident is assessed through the student conduct process, the school said in a statement last week.
Further details are being withheld due to the ongoing investigation and privacy laws. However, the victim’s family has provided more information, saying the N-word was cut into their son’s chest by someone he “trusted.” The family is calling the incident a hate crime and said the victim was the only person of color present. “The reprehensible act was committed by a fellow student-athlete, someone he considered his friend,” the victim’s family told the Gettysburgian, the college’s student newspaper.
Swimmer suspension pending hate crime investigation
They added that the perpetrator used a box cutter to etch the slur. The family also expressed concern about misinformation being spread by various media outlets, the isolation felt by the victim, and the ongoing harm.
The family said they are supporting a fair and thorough investigation as they await the college’s decision. “We appreciate the standardized procedures and protocols in place to ensure the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved are maintained and protected.”
Gettysburg College president Robert Iuliano said he feels “profound distress” over the incident and what it means for the community’s efforts to foster an inclusive environment. He reiterated that there is no place on campus for actions that demean or marginalize individuals based on their identity and history.
The city’s police chief, Robert Glenny Jr., said he contacted the college after hearing news reports and was told the victim chose to handle the matter through the college’s internal process, despite officials encouraging the person to involve the police.
