The College Fix

Small Pennsylvania college continues to focus on a racial incident that is likely a hoax

Gettysburg College continues to go full steam ahead with DEI initiatives in response to a “racial incident” that is likely a hoax – and which the school and alleged victim’s family have acknowledged the complexity of the situation

The small Pennsylvania college has already established a “political science anti-racist student council,” offered “a discussion on “race, identity, accountability, and repair,” and promised to prioritize hiring new faculty with a focus on “equity.”

This all occurred after a swimmer, confirmed by The College Fix to be a freshman named Aidan Ochoa, allegedly had his friend carve the n-word into his chest as part of a prank. Ochoa and his family refused to go to the police and stopped cooperating with the state and local NAACP – despite asking for their assistance.

Now students have three more opportunities for “dialogue” at Gettysburg College.

“Following the racial incident in the fall, the College committed to further advancing its efforts to create one Gettysburg community—a place where every member, regardless of their identities and beliefs, has the fullest opportunity to thrive,” President Bob Iuliano wrote in an email to the campus community and obtained by The Fix.

Diversity trainer Jason Harris will lead three more sessions “focused on race, identity, accountability, and repair.”

The sessions are segregated – there will be one “[f]or anyone who has had a personal lived experience of prejudice or discrimination based on race and wants things to change” and another “[f]or those who do not have personal lived experiences of prejudice or discrimination based on race but want to be part of the change.”

“It is for those among them who seek to be anti-racist allies here at Gettysburg or elsewhere,” a university website states.

A third session will bring these two groups together.

President Iuliano, the university, and the alleged victim’s family, have previously acknowledged the “racial incident” is not as clear cut as a direct attack on someone because of their race.

“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,” President Iuliano previously said.

“This is also, I was just saying to someone perhaps the most, one of the more complicated and nuanced cases I’ve seen in my time in higher education,” he also reportedly told the faculty senate.

A university email also referenced “the nuances and complexities of this case” which they say the family acknowledged in its own statement.

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