On Wednesday, The GettysburgianThe Gettysburg student newspaper initially reported that at least two students had been suspended from the college’s swimming team after a racial slur was scratched on one student’s body.

Two days later, the family of the student who was slashed with the racial slur at a swim team meet contacted the newspaper to comment on the incident, which is currently being investigated by the college, according to a statement from the superintendent Communications and Marketing Officer Jamie Yates.

The family’s statement said their son was the victim of a hate crime that occurred on Friday, September 6, at a men’s team meet where their son was the only person of color. Her statement continued: “This reprehensible act was committed by a fellow student and athlete, someone (her son) he considered his friend, someone he trusted.” This student used a box cutter to say the N-word carved on the chest.”

The Gettysburg statement released by Yates said, “The students involved will not participate in swim team activities pending the outcome of the student conduct process,” but the names of the students involved were not released, citing privacy laws and the “ongoing nature of the student”. Carry out the process.”

The school says a senior member of the team reported the incident to authorities.

The victim’s family said in their statement that the victim was one of the students who was excluded from team activities.

“He didn’t choose the color of his skin tone, but chose to embrace the strength and diversity he represents. Our son did not choose to be shunned and isolated at the behest of some who pay lip service to inclusion and diversity,” her statement continued.

In a schoolwide email, Gettysburg President Bob Iuliano said it was upperclassmen on the team who first reported the incident. Iuliano expressed his “deep” shock over the incident, adding: “Regardless of the relationship and motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that demean, demean or marginalize a person based on their identity and history.”

The family’s full statement, first published in The Gettysburgiancan be found below. To protect the victim’s identity, the newspaper agreed to keep her identity anonymous.

“Two weeks ago, on Friday evening, September 6th, our son was the victim of a hate crime. The incident occurred 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 and athlete, someone he considered a friend and whom he trusted. This student scratched the N-word on his chest with a box cutter.

“Less than 48 hours after the incident, our son was interviewed by the coaching staff and summarily dismissed (not suspended) from the swim team. The punitive action was taken before the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities began its own investigation. This does not appear to have followed the policies and procedures outlined in the Gettysburg College Student-Athlete Manual.

“As we wait to discuss the decisions made by university staff, the damage continues without much relief. Media (social, online and broadcast) continues to spread misinformation based on an act of racial hostility. Likewise, the isolation that comes with isolating many members of the Gettysburg College community he had trusted compounds the damage.

“We want to make it clear that we understand that an investigation should not be rushed. We support a fair and thorough investigation. To this end, we value the standardized procedures and protocols in place. We know that they should ensure that the rights and obligations of everyone involved are upheld and protected.

“At the same time, we have been proactive in seeking redress from other parties. Complaints of racial discrimination, harassment and lack of due process have been filed with the NAACP Harrisburg Chapter and the NAACP Pennsylvania Conference. We also filed a similar complaint with the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations. We understand that we reserve the right to pursue local, state and federal criminal charges in this matter.

“We have now issued this statement in the expectation that it will provide clarity and avoid controversy as we struggle to understand the nightmare that haunts our son and our family. We remain hopeful that Gettysburg College officials will maintain transparency and ensure fair application of its rules.

“Our son had other opportunities to develop intellectually, socially and spiritually and achieve his athletic goals. He chose Gettysburg College and its swimming program because he felt at home on the campus. We really appreciated how welcomed we were by the parents of the other swim teams, the swimmers and the coaching staff. It seemed like the right choice in several ways. For the sake of our son’s well-being, we seek to overcome recent challenges by reflecting our son’s humility and courage.

“Our son did not choose to have a hateful racial slur scrawled on his chest, but he did choose not to return the hate. He didn’t choose the color of his skin tone, but chose to embrace the strength and diversity it represents. Our son did not choose to be shunned and isolated at the behest of some who advocate for inclusion and diversity.

“We would be remiss not to point out that – thankfully – there are students who have come forward and expressed concern for our son’s well-being. These individuals have chosen to resist pressure from others and not associate with him. In our family’s eyes, they stopped to help our son in his time of need. They have shown courage and grace at such a young age, and their actions should be celebrated, not discouraged.

“Our family apologizes in advance if this statement offends anyone. We ask for forgiveness when what we believe to be true is perceived as false witness. This is not our intention. Rather, our intention is that a heinous act can serve – in some way – as a transformative moment for Gettysburg College to live up to its ideals of diversity, inclusion and equity; to celebrate the College’s motto: “Do Great Work.” We pray that together we can awaken a collective consciousness that promotes healing and helps bring about justice for our son and the rest of the Gettysburg College community.”

This is a developing story and may be updated with more information as it becomes available.