Harvard revokes Parkland shooting survivor's acceptance over racial slurs

 

FILE PHOTO: Activist Kyle Kashuv addresses the 148th National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

 

(Reuters) - Harvard University has rescinded its admission offer to a survivor of the 2018 massacre at a Florida high school over his past use of racial slurs in an online document posted on Twitter, the student said on Monday.

 

The student, Kyle Kashuv, was a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when a gunman opened fire in February 2018 and killed 17 students and staff. He became the target of online criticism last month after images of a shared study guide from more than a year ago circulated on Twitter, showing he wrote anti-black slurs.

 

"A few weeks ago, I was made aware of egregious and callous comments classmates and I made privately years ago - when I was 16 years old, months before the shooting - in an attempt to be as extreme and shocking as possible. I immediately apologised," Kashuv wrote on Twitter on Monday.

 

Kashuv said on Twitter that he submitted a written apology to Harvard after the school contacted him asking him to explain the statements he made in the Google document. In response, he said, he received a letter from the admissions dean saying that his acceptance had been revoked.

 

"The Committee takes seriously the qualities of maturity and moral character. After careful consideration the Committee voted to rescind your admission to Harvard College," Harvard Admissions Dean William Fitzsimmons wrote to Kashuv on June 3, according to a copy of the letter that Kashuv posted on Twitter.

 

A representative for Harvard declined to comment on the matter, citing a policy to not comment publicly on the admission status of individual applicants.

 

Kashuv, who distinguished himself from other Parkland students as a gun rights advocate after the school shooting, said on Twitter that he requested to meet with the admissions committee to discuss the matter in person, but Harvard denied his request.

 

 

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and Susan Thomas)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-18

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What gotta make room for the rich kids

Aren't we all branded by our skin colour- is that really racism or society just thin skinned ??? I could not imagine just how the world would survive under a single unified entity as proposed by the symbolic racism believers.

Fact - most cultures are of a racist bent and believe they are better than another. 

 

A man must be judged by his actions. What he said was a long time ago. And since then he has shown remarkable character. Does this count for nothing? I like his comments on Harvard. Not exactly a pinnacle of tolerance, over the decades.

 

"Harvard deciding that someone can't grow, especially after a life-altering event like the shooting, is deeply concerning. If any institution should understand growth, it's Harvard, which is looked to as the pinnacle of higher education despite its checkered past," Kashuv said on Twitter. "Throughout its history, Harvard's faculty has included slave owners, segregationists, bigots and antisemites," he added. "If Harvard is suggesting that growth isn't possible and that our past defines our future, then Harvard is an inherently racist institution. But I don't believe that."

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Harvard revokes Parkland shooting survivor's acceptance over racial slurs

Good, Harvard doesn’t need more pro gun rights activists...

Edited June 18, 20197 yr by Bluespunk

in the meanwhile the kid named david hogg that spoke out against guns, the same kid that was rejected by ucla and suppose lesser institutions was accepted at harvard.

 

did harvard lower their academic standards because they liked the political agenda of the less academically qualified student?

should every black student that ever referred to white people as "honkey" be kicked out of university or rejected admission?

1 hour ago, porphyry said:

Aren't we all branded by our skin colour- is that really racism or society just thin skinned ??? I could not imagine just how the world would survive under a single unified entity as proposed by the symbolic racism believers.

Fact - most cultures are of a racist bent and believe they are better than another. 

 

Being 'branded' by your skin colour is the very definition of racism. 

And no it's not being 'thin skinned'.

1 minute ago, atyclb said:

should every black student that ever referred to white people as "honkey" be kicked out of university or rejected admission?

Well considering they will be about 60 years old now since that racial slur went out in 1974, I very much doubt it.  

15 minutes ago, atyclb said:

in the meanwhile the kid named david hogg that spoke out against guns, the same kid that was rejected by ucla and suppose lesser institutions was accepted at harvard.

 

did harvard lower their academic standards because they liked the political agenda of the less academically qualified student?

Did David Hogg tweet racial slurs?

9 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

12 minutes ago, atyclb said:

should every black student that ever referred to white people as "honkey" be kicked out of university or rejected admission?

Well considering they will be about 60 years old now since that racial slur went out in 1974, I very much doubt it.  

 

try thinking about what was my intent using the "h" word as an example in addition to literal/chronologic status.

19 minutes ago, stevenl said:

35 minutes ago, atyclb said:

in the meanwhile the kid named david hogg that spoke out against guns, the same kid that was rejected by ucla and suppose lesser institutions was accepted at harvard.

 

did harvard lower their academic standards because they liked the political agenda of the less academically qualified student?

Did David Hogg tweet racial slurs?

 

would guess apparently not since it would have been out of line with harvard political agenda.

 

btw a friend of mine (rip) was the first asian american accepted at harvard medical school because at that time they did not really like asians.

seems the same discrimination may be returning 

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-wang-says-ivy-league-discriminates-against-asians-2015-5

Edited June 18, 20197 yr by atyclb

40 minutes ago, atyclb said:

should every black student that ever referred to white people as "honkey" be kicked out of university or rejected admission?

I believe the politically correct term is "crackers".

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"The Committee takes seriously the qualities of maturity and moral character.

They expect a 16yo kid to be mature? Give me a break. This was 100% about politics, not his moral character. And meanwhile David Hogg despite not meeting the entrance requirements has been accepted, simply because his political agenda matches theirs.

 

Education institutions should be free from politics.

24 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

would guess apparently not since it would have been out of line with harvard political agenda.

 

btw a friend of mine (rip) was the first asian american accepted at harvard medical school because at that time they did not really like asians.

seems the same discrimination may be returning 

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-wang-says-ivy-league-discriminates-against-asians-2015-5

So in the same post you're accusing Harvard of being politically correct and of discrimination.

Bit hard on a young kid who made a mistake and apologises. Let he who has not sinned...

39 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

try thinking about what was my intent using the "h" word as an example in addition to literal/chronologic status.

I got your 'intent'. It wasn't that sophisticated.

But by trying to infer that a black person would be held to a different standard is disingenuous at best, deflection at worse.  

Any person using racial slurs of any kind should be held accountable but if their position had genuinely changed, I believe they should be given a chance.  

26 minutes ago, stevenl said:

51 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

would guess apparently not since it would have been out of line with harvard political agenda.

 

btw a friend of mine (rip) was the first asian american accepted at harvard medical school because at that time they did not really like asians.

seems the same discrimination may be returning 

https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-wang-says-ivy-league-discriminates-against-asians-2015-5

So in the same post you're accusing Harvard of being politically correct and of discrimination.

 

can you imagine any parallels between political correctness and discrimination?

36 minutes ago, atyclb said:

 

can you imagine any parallels between political correctness and discrimination?

 

How many applicants at Harvard for each spot? A massive number. This is Harvard's call to reject anyone and I'm sure they've rejected many more people on much less. Nobody has a right to attend the most elite schools. 

1 hour ago, atyclb said:

 

try thinking about what was my intent using the "h" word as an example in addition to literal/chronologic status.

Thought about it and spotted your false equivalence, dismissed your argument accordingly. 

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

How many applicants at Harvard for each spot? A massive number. This is Harvard's call to reject anyone and I'm sure they've rejected many more people on much less. Nobody has a right to attend the most elite schools. 

You miss the point ENTIRELY he was accepted and so your point about applicants is not appropriate to this case. Your point could have been "how many are rejected AFTER acceptance" I bet it is very, very few.

Edited June 18, 20197 yr by BobBKK

12 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 

Right so a private university dismissing a student for racism is an attack on free speech. 

 

Erm no. 

 

Racism is founded on lies, used as a tool of oppression and a weapon of hatred. 

 

The young man chose what to say and has suffered the consequences of his words. Words have consequences, and for once it is the racist who suffers the consequences of his words. 

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

Right so a private university dismissing a student for racism is an attack on free speech. 

 

Erm no. 

 

Racism is founded on lies, used as a tool of oppression and a weapon of hatred. 

 

The young man chose what to say and has suffered the consequences of his words. Words have consequences, and for once it is the racist who suffers the consequences of his words. 

He was 16. You never said something stupid at 16 Mr Perfect?

1 minute ago, BobBKK said:

He was 16. You never said something stupid at 16 Mr Perfect?

I've certainly said and done stupid things and suffered the consequences, as have many 16 year olds, but it's not about me or then is it. 

Away with your whataboutary. 

 

Just now, Chomper Higgot said:

I've certainly said and done stupid things and suffered the consequences, as have many 16 year olds, but it's not about me or then is it. 

Away with your whataboutary. 

 

So you got accepted to a Uni after you said something stupid and then was rejected? wow!  I do apologise Mr Perfect

2 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

So you got accepted to a Uni after you said something stupid and then was rejected? wow!  I do apologise Mr Perfect

Oh now you want to go from 'You never said anything stupid at 16, Mr Perfect' to again try and insert more whataboutary.

 

Back to topic. 

 

Racist gets to suffer the consequences for his own words. 

 

 

40 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Right so a private university dismissing a student for racism is an attack on free speech. 

 

Erm no. 

 

Racism is founded on lies, used as a tool of oppression and a weapon of hatred. 

 

The young man chose what to say and has suffered the consequences of his words. Words have consequences, and for once it is the racist who suffers the consequences of his words. 

 

it would seem "social justice warrior" has become a profession.

 

 

36 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oh now you want to go from 'You never said anything stupid at 16, Mr Perfect' to again try and insert more whataboutary.

 

Back to topic. 

 

Racist gets to suffer the consequences for his own words. 

 

 

Racist 16 year old gets to suffer the consequences for his own words - with no chance for redemption  

2 hours ago, johnnybangkok said:

3 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

try thinking about what was my intent using the "h" word as an example in addition to literal/chronologic status.

I got your 'intent'. It wasn't that sophisticated.

But by trying to infer that a black person would be held to a different standard is disingenuous at best, deflection at worse.  

Any person using racial slurs of any kind should be held accountable but if their position had genuinely changed, I believe they should be given a chance.  

 

your initial response is not consistent with having understood my unsophisticated intent wording but nice try

 

no inference on my part that blacks should be held to a different standard

 

political correctness has gotten so out of control that even liberal comedians call it a cancer