Last week, Pennsylvania‘s Gettysburg College announced the suspension of two swim team members following an incident involving a weapon and a racial slur.

On Friday, the victim’s family released an anonymous statement to the college newspaper, The Gettysburgian, explaining the incident. According to the family, a “trusted” friend etched the N-word across the victim’s chest with a box cutter, which they called a hate crime, on Sept. 6 at a swim team social gathering. The family mentioned the victim was the only person of color there.

According to The Associated Press, the victim is one of two students removed from the team. NPR reported that Gettysburg College told the outlet on Monday that the student who etched the N-word on the victim is no longer enrolled at the school. The institution “declined to comment on whether the student was expelled or decided to leave, citing student privacy laws.”

The family said, “In less than 48 hours after the incident, our son was interviewed by the members of the coaching staff and summarily dismissed (not suspended) from the swim team.”

On Thursday, Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano shared a statement acknowledging the incident and citing an “ongoing investigation where witnesses are being interviewed and key information is still being understood.”

“By now, some of you have heard about a student conduct report that recently was filed with the College arising from an incident where a racial slur was scratched onto a student by another student at an informal social gathering at an on-campus residence,” he said.

“Let me underscore my profound distress about what happened, 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 family stated it supports the ongoing investigation but isn’t limiting its options.

“We want to be clear that we understand that an investigation should not be rushed. We support a fair and thorough investigation. To this end, we appreciate the standardized procedures and protocols that are in place. We know that they are meant to ensure that the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved are maintained and protected.

“At the same time, we have been proactive in seeking redress through other parties. Complaints citing racial discrimination, harassment and lack of due process have been filed with the NAACP Harrisburg chapter and the NAACP Pennsylvania conference. We have also filed a similar complaint with the Pennsylvania Commission on Human Relations. We are well aware that we retain the right to pursue local, state and federal criminal charges in this matter.”

According to WGAL, Gettysburg police claim the school failed to report the incident. As a result, police learned about it through the college newspaper and local media outlets.

Gettysburg Police Department Chief Robert Glenny Jr. said the victim elected to handle the matter through the college’s internal procedures despite college officials encouraging the student to file a police report.

The family thanked the students and peers who have supported their son, apologized to anyone offended, and explained that their overall goal is to bring healing to the Gettysburg community.

“We would be remiss not to point out that there are — thankfully — students who have reached out and expressed their 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 displayed courage and grace at such a young age, and their actions should be celebrated, not discouraged.”

They continued, “Our family apologizes in advance if this statement offends anyone. We seek forgiveness if what we believe to be true is perceived as bearing false witness. This is not our intent. Rather, our intent is that — in some small way — a heinous act can serve as a transformative moment for Gettysburg College to live up to its ideals of diversity, inclusion and justice; to celebrate the College’s maxim to: ‘Do Great Work.’ We pray that together we can arouse a collective conscience promoting healing and help bring about justice for our son and the rest of the Gettysburg College community.”

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