An unidentified Gettysburg College student who allegedly carved a racial slur on a teammate’s chest is no longer enrolled at the Pennsylvania liberal arts college. The incident occurred at a gathering of men’s swim team members on Sept. 6 and was first reported by The Gettysburgian. The college suspended both the alleged perpetrator and the victim from the swim team pending the outcome of an investigation.
The victim’s family released a statement saying the incident was a hate crime, with the alleged perpetrator using a box cutter to carve the N-word into the victim’s chest. The victim was the only person of color at the gathering, and the family criticized the aftermath of the incident, sending complaints about discrimination and harassment to state and local NAACP organizations.
The victim’s family is considering pushing for criminal prosecution in the matter. It is unclear why the victim was suspended from the team, but the college spokesperson indicated that the investigation is ongoing and conversations are being had on how to move forward constructively. The college has removed the men’s swim team roster amid national attention, fearing for the safety of the student athletes.
College President Bob Iuliano defended the team’s culture and leadership, emphasizing that the captains reported the incident to coaches. He hopes the college can learn a lesson from the event and has requested the chief diversity officer to lead an inquiry and recommend actions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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