Jonathan Spanos, a Penn State York advisory board member has resigned after a video surfaced of him using a racial slur in an argument. The video, which was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the man using the N-word and calling himself a racist during an encounter with someone in a residential neighborhood.

“This hateful language has no place in our community and is not reflective of the University’s values or our desire to foster an inclusive environment,” the university told WGAL in a statement. “The appropriate offices at Penn State have been notified and we are looking into this matter with urgency.”

Spanos resigned from his role as an advisory board member on Monday, according to Penn State’s public relations director. He owns The Paddock restaurant and was a commencement speaker for Penn State York in 2014, according to ABC27.

Spanos’ attorney said the video is three weeks old and was edited. He also noted that the encounter shows a dispute between family members, according to WGAL. Several groups have condemned the use of a racial slur.

“It reinforces the reality that we have a lot of work to do,” Dr. Larry Walthour, a York minister with the Confronting Racism Coalition, told WGAL. “We want to move on from this. This is not the York County we want.”

The NAACP’s statement

The York Branch of the NAACP put out a statement addressing Spanos’s behavior and called out for immediate action.

“The NAACP Branch 2294 is deeply troubled by the recent incident involving Mr. Jonathan Spanos. The publicly shared video shows Mr. Spanos, the business owner of the Paddock Restaurant on Market in York, PA, and a member of Penn State York’s Advisory Council, repeatedly using the n-word and proudly self-identifying as a racist. Such behavior is malicious and stands in stark contrast to the values of equality and respect that our community strives to uphold,” the organization said, according to ABC27.

“The emotional trauma that this video ignites for African Americans is deplorable. The use of this demeaning term is not only offensive but also perpetuates the systemic racism that the NAACP has fought against for over a century. It is particularly concerning when such language comes from individuals in positions of influence and authority within our educational institutions and business communities,” it added.

Spanos gave an apology and ‘humbly’ asked for forgiveness 

Meanwhile, Spanos released an apology and asked for forgiveness in a press conference.

“To members of my community who are Black and brown, I want to say how truly sorry I am for my language and my behavior,” he said. “I humbly ask for your forgiveness for the pain I have caused.”

He continued, “The video captured a heated family confrontation in which I intentionally used the most ugly language known to me to lash out in anger. I repeatedly used the n-word to inflict pain on another person and sarcastically stated that I was a racist. I was wrong for not walking away from that volatile situation. I was wrong for responding in anger with hateful language. I was wrong for using a racist term that has caused great trauma in our country, our community and to our neighbors. I was also wrong to state sarcastically in the video that I am a racist.”

At the press conference, he was joined by Black leaders in York County. Spanos said members of Confronting Racism Coalition, the Black Ministers Association of York County and the local chapter of the NAACP reached out to “to challenge and correct” him.

“We believe the statements made by Mr. Spanos are not just careless words but issues of the heart,” said Pastor Bill Kerney, president of the Black Ministers Association, who also said Spanos’ outburst gave voice to “racism and hateful bigotry.”

He added, “We encouraged him to look deeper into his own soul and seek a change of heart from the God who changes us.”

Penn State University