A college student allegedly scratched a racial slur onto another student's body at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, officials said Thursday.
The attack reportedly happened recently at an "informal social gathering at an on-campus residence," the college said in a statement posted online.
According to the Gettysburgian, the college's student newspaper, at least two members of the swim team have been suspended following the attack. A "plastic or ceramic tool" was used to scratch the slur onto the student, the school said in a statement to NBC News affiliate WGAL.
Gettysburg College said in the Thursday that the students involved in the incident have been suspended from participating in swim team activities, "pending the outcome of the student conduct process."
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The college added that upperclassmen students from the swim team were the first to report the incident to the school.
One student told WGAL that he was "disgusted" by the news of the attack.
"It's just kind of sad that stuff still happens today. Even though we talk all the time about inclusion and not doing that type of stuff anymore, it's 2024. You can't be doing that stuff," the student said.
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Gettysburg College President Bob Iuliano said in a statement Thursday that he wishes to share his "profound distress" about the incident.
"No matter the relationship, and no matter the motivation, there is no place on this campus for words or actions that demean, degrade, or marginalize based on one’s identity and history," Iuliano said.
Gettysburg Police said in a statement to WGAL on Friday morning that the incident has not yet been reported to the station.
"The student victim chose not to handle this through police, but rather through the college's internal investigatory process," Police Chief Robert Glenny Jr. said in the statement.
The chief added that while Gettysburg College told him that it's encouraging the student to take the matter to police, it is ultimately the victim's decision to come to authorities.
The college told NBC News that it cannot reveal any further details on the attack, the perpetrators or the victim at this time due to privacy laws and their student conduct process.
"I recognize that the lack of details regarding this incident might be frustrating and we ask for your forbearance," Iuliano said.
"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’d strongly urge us to let our well-established student conduct process play out," he added.
Iuliano said that he has "every confidence" in the college's ability to conduct a "thorough review."
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