President Iuliano addresses investigation into racial slur carved on student at social gathering

Posted by Vincent DiFonzo on September 19, 2024 |

By Vincent DiFonzo, Editor-in-Chief

President Bob Iuliano spoke about an incident, reported in the Gettysburgian yesterday, in which a racial slur was scratched into another student’s skin at a social gathering. At least two students have been suspended from the swim team as part of the investigation into the incident.

In an email to the campus community, Iuliano thanked the senior student who reported the incident to the College and expressed his “deep distress over what happened, its impact on those who have long been underrepresented on this campus, and its implications for a community that continues its evolving efforts to create a truly inclusive environment.”

Iuliano continued, “Regardless of the relationship and regardless of the motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that demean, degrade or marginalize because of a person’s identity and history.”

Iuliano asked the community for understanding, as the College is limited by privacy laws as to what information can be made public.

““Please understand that the College cannot comment on an ongoing investigation in which witnesses are being interviewed and key information is still being analyzed. Beyond that, we are compelled to discuss a student-related matter governed by federal privacy laws. I recognize that the lack of details surrounding this incident may be frustrating, and we ask for your patience,” Iuliano wrote. “In times like these, we may be tempted to speculate about what happened based on fragments of information that may or may not be accurate. Instead, I strongly urge us to allow our well-established student conduct process to play out. I have every confidence in its ability to conduct a thorough review and, in collaboration with the Department of University Life and Athletics, to respond appropriately to what the investigation reveals.”

Iuliano also called on the community to work to foster a more inclusive environment.

““Let us also focus on our collective responsibility to foster a truly inclusive environment and live up to our mission statement that underscores who we are: A vibrant educational environment begins with an unwavering commitment to ‘the worth and dignity of all.’ We only realize the full potential of ourselves and others when we honor the common humanity of each in all our interactions,” Iuliano wrote. “As a community, we will learn from this and renew our commitment to supporting those who need it most.”

Iuliano’s full statement is published below:

Dear Campus Community,

Some of you may have heard about a student conduct report that was recently filed with the College following an incident in which a student wrote a racial slur about a male student during an informal social gathering in a campus residence. I want to acknowledge that it was the upperclassmen on the swim team who were the first to report the incident, and we thank them for bringing this incident to the College’s attention.

Let me emphasize my deep distress about what happened, its impact on those who have long been underrepresented on this campus, and its implications for a community that continues its ever-evolving efforts to create a truly inclusive environment.

Regardless of the relationship and regardless of the motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that demean, degrade, or marginalize based on a person’s identity and history.

Please be aware that the College cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, in which witnesses are being interviewed and key information is still being analyzed. Beyond that, we are compelled to discuss a student-related matter governed by federal privacy laws. I recognize that the lack of details regarding this incident may be frustrating, and we ask for your patience.

In times like these, we may be tempted to speculate about what happened based on bits of information that may or may not be accurate. Instead, I strongly urge us to let our well-established student conduct process play out. I have full confidence in its ability to conduct a thorough investigation and, in collaboration with University Life and Athletics, respond appropriately to what the investigation reveals.

Let us also focus on our collective responsibility to foster a truly inclusive environment and live up to our mission statement that underscores who we are: a vibrant educational environment begins with an unwavering commitment to “the worth and dignity of all.” We realize the full potential of ourselves and others only when we honor the common humanity of each in all our interactions.

As a community, we will learn from this experience and renew our commitment to supporting those who need it most.

As a reminder, below is a list of campus resources:

• If you are a victim or witness of an act of bias, please report Do it as soon as you can.
• All Students – Counseling and Wellness Services at [email protected] or 717-337-6960
• All Staff and Students – Diversity and Inclusion, Eloísa Gordon-Mora at [email protected] or 717-337-6376
• All Students – University Life, Cristina Garcia at [email protected] or 717-337-6921
• All Employees – Human Resources, Employment Assistance Program at [email protected] or 717-337-6202
• All Faculty – Office of the Provost, Michelle Schmidt at [email protected] or 717-337-6840

Sincerely,

Bob Iuliano

President

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

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