Jonathan Spanos resigned from Penn State York’s advisory board after racist rants

(This story and headline have been updated to add new information.)

Jonathan Spanos is no longer a member of the Penn State York Advisory Board, the university said, after a video on social media identified the Paddock on Market restaurant owner shouting racist language.

“Jonathan Spanos is no longer a member of the Penn State York Advisory Board,” Wyatt DuBois, director of public relations for the university, said in an email Tuesday morning.

Spanos resigned effective Nov. 11, DuBois said.

Penn State York website no longer lists him as a member of the advisory board.

More: Penn State York and NAACP condemn the racist tirade attributed to the York restaurant owner

An account on X, formerly Twitter, with the name YorkpaRacist posted a video Sunday afternoon showing an exchange in the middle of a residential street.

The video shows the man, identified as Spanos, using the n-word several times and saying, “I’m a racist.”

Attempts to reach Spanos were unsuccessful.

Penn State York posted a response in the X post thread. It stated: “This hate speech has no place in our community and does not reflect the values ​​of the university or our desire to promote an inclusive environment. The appropriate offices at Penn State have been notified and we are investigating this matter with urgency.”

Advisory board member John Klinedinst said the language in the video is embarrassing, unacceptable and not what he expected from Spanos.

“It’s inexcusable. It’s hateful,” he said. “I’m just shocked.”

Klinedinst said he hasn’t seen Spanos in person at one of the council’s advisory meetings in a while.

York NAACP responds to the video

“The NAACP Branch 2294 is deeply troubled by the recent incident involving Mr. Jonathan Spanos,” President Jamiel Alexander said in a statement to the York Daily Record.

“The publicly shared video shows Mr. Spanos, the business owner of the Paddock Restaurant on Market in York, PA, and member of the Penn State York Advisory Council, repeatedly using the n-word and proudly identifying himself as a racist. behavior is malicious and stands in stark contrast to the values ​​of equality and respect that our community strives to uphold.”

Alexander said the video is “deplorable” and causes “emotional trauma” for African Americans.

In response to the video, Alexander added that the NAACP is calling for an immediate resignation from the Penn State York Advisory Board and business associations “to uphold the integrity of these institutions.”

It also requests an “institutional review” by Penn State York, asking for a “thorough review of the advisory board members to ensure they support the university’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and embodying connectedness.”

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Jonathan Spanos no longer on the advice of Penn State York