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Racial Slur Carved into Gettysburg College Student’s Chest

Published – October 11, 2024

At an informal swim team gathering in late September, one student used a box cutter to carve a racial slur into another student’s chest. In an article for The Gettysburgian, the victim’s parents released a statement describing the incident involving their son.

“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.

They described the events that unfolded immediately following the box-cutting incident.

“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…”

Whether the victim was aware of the slur being carved on his chest – and able to combat the actions of the perpetrator —  is unclear.

Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano condemned the incident in a statement and said the college is now investigating the matter.

Following the public exposure of the incident, the swim team dismissed the perpetrators. According to NBC News, the student responsible for carving the offensive slur is no longer enrolled at the college.

Published – October 18, 2024