Editor’s Note: On the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 23, President Bob Iuliano released another statement on the incident, which was reported on by the Gettysburgian here.
By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief
On Sunday afternoon, Vice President for College Life Anne Ehrlich sent a campus-wide email with an update on the investigation into the racially-charged incident at an unofficial swim team social gathering in which a slur was cut into a student’s chest.
She informed the community that the individual who cut the slur into another student is no longer enrolled at Gettysburg College, writing that the “investigation is nearing its conclusion, and we can report now that the individual who scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the College.”
According to statement from the victim’s family, the N-word was cut onto their son’s chest using a box cutter by a fellow student, who the victim “trusted.” Ehrlich acknowledged the family’s statement, which was published by the Gettysburgian on Friday evening.
“We appreciate the family’s statement, including its acknowledgement of the importance of such a full investigation, particularly given the nuances and complexities of this case, as their statement also highlighted,” wrote Ehrlich. “We previously made a commitment to the family that once the investigation was nearing its completion, we would work with them about how most constructively to move forward. Those conversations have already begun. I’d like to join President Iuliano in thanking the swim team members for so quickly bringing this to our attention.”
The family’s Friday statement also shared that they have filed complaints with the NAACP Pennsylvania Conference, NAACP Harrisburg chapter and Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations. The family has not filed charges with police and also emphasized that they are aware they can press charges.
Ehrlich said that in her email that this “will be our final communication concerning the student conduct process related to this matter.”
The incident was first reported on by the Gettysburgian, who reached out to the College and received a statement on Wednesday.
On Thursday, President Bob Iuliano made a statement, thanking the upperclassmen swim team members who reported the incident to the College and expressing his “profound distress about what happened, its impact on those who have long been underrepresented on this campus and its implications for a community continuing its evolving efforts to create a truly inclusive environment.”
The incident has since garnered national media attention.
Shortly after Ehrlich’s email was released, the College and family also released a joint statement to the Gettysburgian on the incident, reiterating that the student who “scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the College.”
Additionally, their joint statement emphasized that the College made a commitment to “work with [the family] about how most constructively to move forward.” Further, the statement reported that, “Those conversations have already begun and will continue. Both parties understand that this process will take time and are committed to working together.”
The Gettysburgian has republished Ehrlich’s full statement below:
“I am writing to provide an update following President Iuliano’s message last week regarding the recent racial incident that occurred at a student social event. The investigation is nearing its conclusion, and we can report now that the individual who scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the College.
“Many of you have read the statement in the Gettysburgian submitted by the family of the complainant. We appreciate the family’s statement, including its acknowledgement of the importance of such a full investigation, particularly given the nuances and complexities of this case, as their statement also highlighted.
“We previously made a commitment to the family that once the investigation was nearing its completion, we would work with them about how most constructively to move forward. Those conversations have already begun. I’d like to join President Iuliano in thanking the swim team members for so quickly bringing this to our attention.
“As we’ve mentioned before, this was a serious situation that required a thorough and thoughtful investigation, and we thank the community for their patience as we worked through our process. This will be our final communication concerning the student conduct process related to this matter.
“Thank you for your continued engagement and support as we navigate this time together.”
The full joint statement between the victim’s family and the College, released to the Gettysburgian, is published below:
“The investigation is nearing its conclusion, and we can report now that the individual who scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the College.
“On Friday, the family of the complainant in this investigation submitted a statement to the Gettysburgian. In that statement, the family began to outline some of the nuances and complexities of this case and acknowledged the importance of a full investigation. Gettysburg College has appreciated the family’s willingness to allow us to see the investigation through.
“The College had previously made a commitment to the family that once the investigation was nearing its completion, we would work with them about how most constructively to move forward. Those conversations have already begun and will continue. Both parties understand that this process will take time and are committed to working together.
“The College and the family both recognize the gravity and seriousness of this situation and hope it can serve as a transformative moment for our community and beyond. To point back to the statement in the Gettysburgian from the family:
“‘Rather, our intent is that — in some small way — a heinous act can serve as a transformative moment for Gettysburg College to live up to its ideals of diversity, inclusion and justice; to celebrate the College’s maxim to: ‘Do Great Work.’ We pray that together we can arouse a collective conscience promoting healing and help bring about justice for our son and the rest of the Gettysburg College community.’
“The family also wishes to reiterate, in reaction to comments made to the press the Gettysburg Police Department, that they are aware they retain the right to pursue local, state and federal criminal charges in this matter.”
At the end of the statement, they provided a link to President Iuliano’s statement on the incident released on Thursday.
September 22, 2024
Thank you for the good work you are doing keeping the campus informed.
September 22, 2024
This is a transformative moment, not just for the college, but for the community. Therefore, as an active antiracist advocate working toward racial justice in Gettysburg, it would be my hope that the college reqire all freshmen to have training in antiracists practices that will create a deeper understanding of how and why such incidents can be avoided as we celebrate diversity and our common humanity.
September 23, 2024
Class of 2012 Alumnus
I hope the college has required training for students on how to report incidents of this magnitude and to prevent incident like this to never occur. Gettysburg College has a long history of students demonstrating discriminatory behaviors on and off-campus. As a Black student, racism was common from our White peers on and off-campus. There must be harsh consequences for horrific actions like this incident. I am wondering if this student, this student’s family, and this student’s peers are receiving counseling, at no expense to them, to begin the healing process. I strongly recommend that the whole campus meets to denounce actions like this incident so everyone hears the same message and knows what the consequences are.
November 8, 2024
Assaults with or without battery should always be reported to a municipality’s Law Enforcement. It bewilders me how the College gets to intervene.
September 23, 2024
Name the perp!
September 23, 2024
How exactly does one carve a racial slur into the chest of a young, physically fit man? Was he passed out for some reason? Did his teammates hold him down?
This is a serious criminal act. Were the police notified? Have criminal charges been filed? If not, why not?
Did the alleged victim seek medical treatment?
Were photographs of his wounds taken to preserve evidence?
Many questions. Few answers.
September 24, 2024
A scratch is VERY different than a cut. Let’s please be truthful and transparent within all report and verbiage within. I’m certain official head cropped photos of the wound were taken, even if not publicly released…
September 25, 2024
You DEFINITELY missed the point here. Being assaulted by students, targeted as the only black person, and having a racial slur carved on your chest is ENOUGH. This is a hate crime. Who gives two craps whether the cuts were superficial or deep wounds. You’re a disgusting person and I can’t believe you wrote this.
September 25, 2024
Was it or scratch or cut ,because we all know what a box-cutter is ?
September 25, 2024
You DEFINITELY missed the point here. Being assaulted by students, targeted as the only black person, and having a racial slur carved on your chest is ENOUGH. This is a hate crime. Who gives two craps whether the cuts were superficial or deep wounds. You’re a disgusting person and I can’t believe you wrote this.
September 26, 2024
I am having a very difficult time seeing any of the complex nuances related to this horrific incident. We have a Black student who had the N-word carved into his chest by a White student. In other words, a White student branded a Black student in the same manner that slave owners and plantation overseers did their chattle during the American Slave Trade. What investigation was actually needed to come to the conclusion that the student who commited a racially motivated assault, which qualifies as a felony and hate crime under both Pennsylvania and Federal law, needed to be expelled? There is NOTHING that would justify carving a racial slur into the body of another student. As a Gettysburg College alumnus, class of 2010, and a member of the Alumni Board of Directors, I am extremely disappointed in the college and how they handled this situation. I hope that this will serve as a teaching moment for Gettysburg College moving forward.
September 28, 2024
I have spoken with an employee of Gettysburg College. There is a great deal more to this story than had been revealed.
I would urge Spotlight Pennsylvania to investigate this story. My contact told me that they feel there are a lot of people who would be glad to share more details.
Please feel free to contact me privately if I can help.
September 29, 2024
This is so scary. Just the other day, some students painted the letter on their chest to spell the N-word and posted it on SM. I just want to know why some young adults feel OK doing this. This is not 1924. This is 2024.