Family Of Gettysburg Swimmer Who Had A Racial Slur Carved On Their Body Speaks Out

On Wednesday, The Gettysburgian, the Gettysburg student newspaper, first reported that at least two students had been suspended from the college’s swim team after a racial slur was scratched onto the body of a student.

Two days later, the family of the student who had the racial slur cut onto their body at a swim team gathering contacted the paper with their statement on the incident, which is currently under investigation by the college, per a statement by Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Jamie Yates.

The family’s statement says their son was the victim of a hate crime, which took place on Friday, Sept. 6 at a men’s team gathering where their son was the only person of color. Their statement goes on to share that “this reprehensible act was committed by a fellow student-athlete, someone [their son] considered his friend, someone whom he trusted. This student used a box cutter to etch the N-word across his chest.”

Gettysburg’s statement, released by Yates, said “Students involved are not participating in swim team activities pending the outcome of the student conduct process,” but did not release the names of any students involved, citing privacy laws and the “ongoing nature of the student conduct process.”

The school says that an upperclassmen member of the team reported the incident to authorities.

The victim’s family said in their statement the victim is one of the students dismissed from team activities.

“He did not choose the color of his skin tone, but has chosen to embrace the strength and diversity it represents. Our son did not choose to be shunned and isolated at the behest of some who pay lip service to inclusion and diversity,” their statement continued.

In a school-wide email, Gettysburg president Bob Iuliano said it was upperclassmen from the team who first reported the incident. Iuliano expressed his “profound” distress over the incident, adding “No matter the relationship, and no matter the motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that demean, degrade, or marginalize based on one’s identity and history.”

The family’s full statement, first published in The Gettysburgian, can be found below. To protect the victim’s identity, the paper agreed to keep their identities anonymous.

“Two weeks ago on the evening of Friday, Sept. 6, our son became the victim of a hate crime. The incident took place at a gathering of swim team members. It is important to note that he was the only person of color at this gathering. The reprehensible act was committed by a fellow student-athlete, someone he considered his friend, someone whom he trusted. This student used a box cutter to etch the N-word across his chest.

“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. 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.

“As we wait to discuss the decisions made by college staff, the harm continues without much relief. Media outlets (social, online, and broadcast) continue to perpetuate misinformation stemming from an act of racial animus. In the same vein, the isolation that pairs with being isolated from many in the Gettysburg College community that he had come to trust deepens the harm.

“We want to be clear that we understand that an investigation should not be rushed. We support a fair and thorough investigation. To this end, we appreciate the standardized procedures and protocols that are in place. We know that they are meant to ensure that the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved are maintained and protected.

“At the same time, we have been proactive in seeking redress through other parties. Complaints citing racial discrimination, harassment and lack of due process have been filed with the NAACP Harrisburg chapter and the NAACP Pennsylvania conference. We have also filed a similar complaint with the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations. We are well aware that we retain the right to pursue local, state and federal criminal charges in this matter.

“We have come forward now with this statement in the expectation that it will add clarity, not stir controversy as we struggle to comprehend the nightmare that haunts our son and our family. We remain hopeful that Gettysburg College officials will maintain transparency and execute a just application of its rules.

“Our son had other choices where he could mature intellectually, socially and spiritually, and achieve his athletic goals. He chose Gettysburg College and its swim program because he felt at home on this campus. Indeed, we appreciated how we were welcomed by other swim team parents, swimmers and coaching staff. It appeared to be the right choice on several levels. For the sake of our son’s well-being, we are attempting to address the recent challenges by mirroring our son’s spirit of humility and courage.

“Our son did not choose to have a hateful racial slur scrawled across his chest, but he has chosen not to return the hate. He did not choose the color of his skin tone, but has chosen to embrace the strength and diversity it represents. Our son did not choose to be shunned and isolated at the behest of some who pay lip service to inclusion and diversity.

“We would be remiss not to point out that there are — thankfully — students who have reached out and expressed their concern for our son’s well-being. These individuals have chosen to resist pressure from others and not associate with him. In our family’s eyes, they stopped to help our son in his time of need. They have displayed courage and grace at such a young age, and their actions should be celebrated, not discouraged.

“Our family apologizes in advance if this statement offends anyone. We seek forgiveness if what we believe to be true is perceived as bearing false witness. This is not our intent. Rather, our intent is that — in some small way — a heinous act can serve as a transformative moment for Gettysburg College to live up to its ideals of diversity, inclusion and justice; to celebrate the College’s maxim to: ‘Do Great Work.’  We pray that together we can arouse a collective conscience promoting healing and help bring about justice for our son and the rest of the Gettysburg College community.”

This is a developing story and bay be updated with further information as it becomes available.