Report: Gettysburg College student has racist slur carved into his body

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

HANOVER, Pennsylvania — Officials at a small liberal arts college in southern Pennsylvania are investigating reports that a student had a racial slur carved into his chest with a box cutter earlier this month.

The incident occurred on Sept. 6 at a men's swim team meet at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, according to a statement from the victim's family published Friday in the college's student newspaper, The Gettysburgian. The victim's family called the incident a “hate crime” and pointed out that their son was the only person of color at the meet, which was held in a campus dormitory.

“The reprehensible act was committed by a fellow athlete, someone he considered his friend, someone he trusted,” the victim's family wrote in the statement. “This student used a box cutter to carve the N-word on his chest.”

The incident was first reported by the Gettysburgian on Wednesday.

According to a statement from communications and marketing director Jamie Yates, school officials initially said two students had been suspended from the school's swim team in connection with the attack and that an investigation would be launched under the student conduct regime.

At the time, the school said it had received a “deeply disturbing report” that a student had had a racist slur carved into his body using a plastic or ceramic tool.

In a joint statement from the school and the victim's family on Sunday, Anne Ehrlich, vice president for college life, said the investigation was nearing completion and the student who uttered the slur is no longer enrolled at the college. The students' names were not released.

“We have previously assured the family that as the investigation nears completion, we will work with them to move forward in the most constructive way,” Ehrlich wrote. “Those discussions have already begun.”

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The victim's family says their son was fired, not suspended

The victim's family confirmed in their statement on Friday that their son was not suspended but was dismissed from the swim team without notice after being questioned by members of the coaching staff.

“The punitive action was taken before the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities began its own investigation,” the family wrote. “This does not appear to comply with the policies and procedures set forth in the Gettysburg College Student-Athlete Manual.”

While the victim's family said they support the school's investigation, they said they have filed complaints alleging racial discrimination, harassment and lack of due process with the Harrisburg chapter of the NAACP, the Pennsylvania conference of the NAACP and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

“Our son did not choose to have a hateful racist slur scrawled on his chest, but he did choose not to return the hate,” the family statement continued.

Gettysburg College calls on community to focus on inclusivity

Television station WGAL had previously reported that Gettysburg Police Chief Robert Glenny Jr. said he first learned of the incident from local news and contacted the college after the incident became known.

According to WGAL, Glenny said the college told him the victim chose to handle the case through the internal investigation process, even though the school had advised the victim to take the matter to the police.

Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano responded to reports of the incident in a statement Thursday. Iuliano said the college recently received a student conduct report because another student carved a racial slur into a student's body during an “informal social gathering in a campus residence hall.”

In the statement, Iuliano thanked the seniors on the swim team who reported the incident to the college.

“I want to emphasize my deep dismay at what has happened, its impact on those who have long been underrepresented on this campus, and its consequences for a community that continues its efforts to create a truly inclusive environment,” Iuliano said in the statement.

According to the college's website, more than 2,200 students were enrolled for the fall 2024 semester. Of those students, 62% were white, 21% were students of color, and 3% were of unknown ethnicity and race.

Gettysburg is best known as the site of a Civil War battle in 1863 in which thousands of people lost their lives. President Abraham Lincoln gave a moving speech there four months later. It is located about 225 kilometers west of Philadelphia.

Report: Gettysburg College student has racist slur carved into his body

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