FAMILY OF GETTYSBURG SWIMMER WHO HAD A RACIAL SLUR CARVED ON THEIR BODY SPEAKS OUT

Sophie Kaufman | September 22nd, 2024

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.

{snip}

Students Suspended from Swim Team Amid Report of Racial Slur ‘Scratched’ On Student’s Body

Posted By Vincent DiFonzo on Sep 18, 2024

Editor’s Note: This story was a breaking news report that involves an ongoing investigation. The Gettysburgian’s most recent reporting can be found at this link.

By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief

Two students have been suspended from the Gettysburg swim team following a report that a racial slur was carved into the body of a team member at a social gathering. The names of students involved are not yet public while the College investigates the incident.

The Gettysburgian reached out to the College for more information. Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Jamie Yates shared the following statement:

“The College has received a deeply concerning report of a racial slur being scratched onto a student using a plastic or ceramic tool. This is a serious report, which is being actively assessed through the student conduct process. At this point, the students involved are not participating in swim team activities pending the outcome of the student conduct process. Given privacy laws and the ongoing nature of the student conduct process, we are unable to share further details.”

President Bob Iuliano addressed the incident in a campus-wide email sent on Thursday.
This story was updated to correct that both the victim and perpetrator of the incident are included in the students suspended from swim team activities. Previously, the report stated that at least two students were suspended amid investigation into the racial slur carved into “another” student’s body. The word “another” has been removed. – V. DiFonzo