A college in Pennsylvania has suspended two students from its swim team after a disturbing report surfaced that a racial slur was scratched onto another student.
The incident took place at Gettysburg College, a liberal arts institution located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
According to the college newspaper, the Gettysburgian, school officials learned that the slur was carved onto the body of another student using a plastic or ceramic tool.
The college has not released the names of the students involved, their racial backgrounds, what led up to the incident, or the slur that was etched onto the victim’s body.
The college’s chief communications and marketing officer, Jamie Yates, stated that the two students who were penalized were not allowed to participate in swim team activities as school officials assessed the incident through the student conduct process.
Yates released a full statement on the incident:
“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.”
The college hasn’t reported the incident to police yet, according to PennLive.com. No other information has been made available at this time. The swim team’s season doesn’t begin until Oct. 19.
Gettysburg College enrolled 2,207 full-time undergraduate students in fall 2024. Of that student population, more than 61 percent is white, nearly 11 percent is Hispanic/Latino, less than 5 percent is Black, 2.4 percent is Asian, and about 14 percent are international students. Students of color from the United States make up a total of 21.3 percent of the student population.
“Pretty disgusted. It’s just kind of sad that stuff still happens today. Even though we talk all the time about inclusion and not doing that type of stuff anymore, it’s 2024. You can’t be doing that stuff. It’s just sad to see people still think that way and act that way. We can’t have that,” another Gettysburg College student said.
