What to know about the hate crime investigation surrounding the Gettysburg College swim team students

An unnamed Gettysburg College student who campus officials say carved a racial slur into a fellow swim team member’s chest is no longer enrolled at the school, a campuswide email from school leadership confirmed.

School officials declined to comment on the nature of the student’s exit, citing privacy issues.

The news comes on the heels of an intense media storm surrounding the small liberal arts college of fewer than 3,000 students. Word of the alleged hate crime, which was first reported last week by the Gettysburgian, the college’s student newspaper, sparked widespread concern.

The victim, who has not been publicly named, was the only person of color at the swim team gathering where the incident occurred, according to his family. Gettysburg College’s student makeup is majority white, 21% domestic students of color, and 14% international, according to the school’s website.

Here’s what we know about the incident.

On Sept. 6, members of the Gettysburg College men’s swim team were at an on-campus residence for an informal gathering.

According to the student of color’s parents, one teammate used a box cutter to scrawl the N-word across the student’s chest. Details surrounding the student’s age or year, along with the nature of the injury, were not disclosed.

“Our son became the victim of a hate crime,” the parents said in a statement to the Gettysburgian. “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.”

Team members reported the incident to officials, according to college president Bob Iuliano. From there, an investigation was launched.

In a statement released to the Gettysburgian, the family called the incident a hate crime and said their son has felt shunned and isolated.

“Our son had other choices where he could mature intellectually, socially and spiritually, and achieve his athletic goals. He chose Gettysburg College and its swim program because he felt at home on this campus. Indeed, we appreciated how we were welcomed by other swim team parents, swimmers and coaching staff,” the family wrote. “It appeared to be the right choice on several levels. For the sake of our son’s well-being, we are attempting to address the recent challenges by mirroring our son’s spirit of humility and courage.”

They added: “Our son did not choose to have a hateful racial slur scrawled across his chest, but he has chosen not to return the hate. He did not choose the color of his skin tone, but has chosen to embrace the strength and diversity it represents. Our son did not choose to be shunned and isolated at the behest of some who pay lip service to inclusion and diversity.” (The full statement can be read on the Gettysburgian’s website.)

The family also expressed their gratitude toward the students who reported the incident.

According to Iuliano, one student was responsible for using the box cutter.

The alleged perpetrator and the victim were interviewed within 48 hours of the incident by coaches and were both suspended from the swim team. The victim’s parents contend that their son was “dismissed,” not suspended.

The school’s vice president for college life, Anne Ehrlich, said in a campuswide email Sunday that the student responsible had left the school.

“We can report now that the individual who scratched a slur onto another person is no longer enrolled at the College,” school officials said in a joint statement released with the victim’s family. It’s unclear if the departing student was suspended or dropped out.

Iuliano said in an email Thursday to students that he was “profoundly distressed” by the incident and 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 president continued that the school has a collective responsibility to foster inclusion on campus.

On Sunday, Ehrlich said in her email: “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.”

In a joint statement by the school and the victim’s family released to the Gettysburgian, both parties said they “recognize the gravity and seriousness of this situation and hope it can serve as a transformative moment for our community and beyond.”

School officials said in a statement that the investigation was nearing its conclusion and that the school would work with the victim’s family to “constructively 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,” a school spokesperson told NPR on Monday.

The victim’s parents have repeatedly emphasized that they are aware they can press criminal charges but are not pursuing that route currently. They added that they have filed complaints regarding racial discrimination, harassment, and a lack of due process with the NAACP’s Harrisburg chapter and Pennsylvania conference as well as the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations.