Marquette pulls student’s admission over Snapchat
‘Offensive comment’ about Floyd led to finding more racist language
Marquette University says it rescinded an incoming student’s offer of admission Monday after screenshots of a Snapchat she posted commenting on the death of George Floyd drew outrage on social media.
Screenshots of the post have ricocheted across Twitter, drawing condemnation for an “offensive comment” she made about former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s decision to press his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, suffocating him.
According to screenshots circulating on Twitter, the incoming freshman’s post compared Floyd’s death to kneeling during the national anthem.
“Some ppl think it’s ok to (expletive) kneel during the national anthem so it’s ok to kneel on someone’s head,” the incoming freshman’s post read. “come at me. y’all brainwashed.”
Marquette spokeswoman Lynn Griffith confirmed the student’s offer to attend the university had been rescinded Monday.
The university learned of the Snapchat on Friday, and the university found the student, who was slated to play on the women’s lacrosse team on a scholarship, had also used racially offensive language in other posts.
“Following an internal review involving the Division of Student Affairs, Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and Intercollegiate Athletics, and in alignment with our Guiding Values, Marquette University has made the decision to rescind the incoming student’s offer of admission and athletics scholarship, effective immediately,” Griffith said.
“As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, we are called to build a nurturing, inclusive community where all people feel safe, supported, welcomed and celebrated.”
Floyd’s death has sparked peaceful protests and violent unrest across America, as citizens take a stand against police brutality against black people.
Despite the shuttering of campuses due to the coronavirus outbreak, campus leaders across Wisconsin have spoken out against Floyd’s killing, encouraging members of their communities to reflect on injustices black Americans face in daily life.
In a blog post posted the same day the student’s Snapchat came to light, William Welburn, vice president for inclusive excellence, reflected on shock waves Floyd’s death had sent across the country, recalling seeing him gasp out the words: “I can’t breathe.”
“Right now, I am reading an email from a friend who wonders what she as a mother of a black boy can do to ‘shield him from the ugliness of the world,’ ” Welburn wrote. “It troubles me that it seems that we as a society are begging for an end to racially charged violence — physical, mental and emotional — inflicted upon people of color.”
“As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, we are called to build a nurturing, inclusive community where all people feel safe, supported, welcomed and celebrated.” Lynn Griffith Marquette spokeswoman