Two recent graduates of a prestigious New Jersey private school had their college acceptances rescinded and another was kicked off a unive...
Two recent graduates of a prestigious New Jersey private school had their college acceptances rescinded and another was kicked off a university football team after viral videos showed them mocking George Floyd, using racial slurs, and poking fun at African Americans.
Adam Giaquinto, Nathan Panza, and a third unidentified student were set to begin their freshman academic years this coming fall at the University of Richmond, Cornell University, and Colgate, respectively, after graduating from the Morristown-Beard School.
But the unidentified female and Giaquinto were informed that their acceptances were rescinded, while Panza lost his spot on Cornell’s football team.
Adam Giaquinto (left) and Nathan Panza (right), who were classmates at a prestigious New Jersey private high school, were seen on a Snapchat video that went online Sunday using the n-word and mocking George Floyd
Giaquinto, Panza, and a third unidentified student were set to begin their freshman academic years this coming fall at the University of Richmond, Cornell University, and Colgate, respectively, after graduating from the Morristown-Beard School (above)
All three are graduates of Morristown-Beard, a private high school that charges students annual tuition of some $44,000.
Two videos - one of which included Panza and Giaquinto together and the other which showed the unidentified student - went viral, prompting online petitions demanding that the three universities drop their acceptances.
MBS released a statement this week condemning the ‘inappropriate and unacceptable behavior of a few individuals whose actions do not represent the MBS community.’
‘Our School’s policies do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind,’ the statement read.
‘This unfortunate incident is a reminder of the work that still needs to be done by us as a school and as a nation.’
At around 1am on Sunday, video surfaced on Snapchat showing Panza and Giaquinto apparently smoking and drinking while hanging out with two other friends.
Existence of the video was first reported by TMZ.
After the video went viral, Cornell University dropped Panza (above) from the football team
In February, Panza (seen in the middle seat), who was a star running back in high school, signed a letter of intent to play at Cornell
Giaquinto, who is holding the cell phone, records while Panza is heard making a racial slur and a reference to George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
Giaquinto is then heard repeating the slur as the other teens laugh.
The video quickly went viral. Shortly afterward, Panza, a running back from Morristown, New Jersey, was disinvited to the college football team, The Cornell Daily Sun reported.
Panza signed a letter of intent on February 5 committing to play for Cornell. He was a star football player in high school, earning All-Morris County honors after rushing for over 1,200 yards and scoring 17 touchdowns this past season.
When Panza signed his letter of intent to play at Cornell, MBS posted an item on its web page announcing the recruitment.
But that item has since been deleted.
Now there are growing calls online for Cornell to rescind its acceptance of Panza altogether.
Cornell's athletic director, Adam Noel, told TMZ that Panza would not be suiting up for Big Red.
'After viewing it, head football coach, David Archer, made the decision to rescind the individual's offer to join the team in the fall,' Noel says.
'There is no room for this behavior in Cornell Athletics.'
The University of Richmond released a statement on Wednesday announcing that it would not accept Giaquinto
‘A video was taken of me using a word that is offensive and hurtful,’ Panza said in a statement he gave to the Cornell campus newspaper in which he asked the Ivy League school for a second chance.
‘The word has a long history of cruelty for the black community and is simply wrong.
‘I am heartbroken I have hurt people; those I know and those I do not.
‘I take full responsibility for my actions.’
Panza added: ‘I plan to better educate myself on the issues of racism and injustice in America, as I want to be part of the solution and not the problem.
‘The label “racist” is not something I can live with and I will work to prove that every day for the rest of my life.
‘It is my humble hope that I will come out of this incident as a better ally, better friend and better person.’
‘One word does not define me as a man or human being and I can only hope that the Cornell Community will allow me the opportunity to make the appropriate amends and give me that second chance,’ he said.
Panza is scheduled to begin his freshman year at Cornell's Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
The University of Richmond in Virginia also announced on Wednesday that it revoked Giaquinto’s admission.
‘The University of Richmond yesterday rescinded an offer of admission to an incoming student who posted an offensive and racially charged video on social media that did not reflect the University’s values or its commitment to a thriving and inclusive community,’ the statement read.
‘The University of Richmond remains steadfastly committed to fostering a thriving, inclusive community, and to our enduring values of diversity, inclusivity, and equity,’ the university said.
Later on Sunday, another MBS graduate, the unidentified female posted a video on TikTok that soon went viral on Instagram.
MBS released a statement this week condemning the ‘inappropriate and unacceptable behavior of a few individuals whose actions do not represent the MBS community’
It showed her doing a search on Google for ‘African Americans.’
The video then zooms in to the ‘shopping’ tab. She is then seen saying: ‘Get in loser, we’re going shopping.’
That quote is a line from the popular 2004 film Mean Girls.
The caption in the video reads: ‘it’s a joke please don’t come at me.’
An online petition demanded that Colgate University revoke her acceptance.
‘We immediately started an investigation…and considered both its message and its potential impact,’ Colgate President Brian Casey said in a statement posted to the university’s web site.
‘As a result of this review and consistent with both our processes and our principles, the University has revoked our offer of admission to the individual in question, who will not be joining our community in the fall.’
Casey also addressed another racist video posted by a Colgate student, saying ‘the level of ignorance shown in these videos is appalling.’
‘In a time when we have seen people across the world rightfully outraged by the recent killings of George Floyd and countless other black men and women and we see nearly every institution in the country looking at the nature and effect of systemic racism, these videos evince a level of cruelty that is staggering,’ he said.
An online petition demanding her acceptance be rescinded garnered close to 2,300 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, another online petition claims that three female students from MBS were recorded on a video uploaded to social media showing them singing the n-word.
DailyMail.com has reached out to MBS for comment on the matter.
Since the videos emerged, MBS has taken steps to
The two videos prompted the New Jersey school to have its own reckoning on race, according to NJ Advance Media.
The administrators sent a letter to current and former black students asking them to recount their experiences and give their input as to how the institution can become more 'anti-racist.'
The school also has plans to hire a 'consultant on cultural competency' - which is an official who usually advises academic institutions on creating a more welcoming atmosphere for diverse faculty and students.
The school will send a letter to parents that will include recommendations for reform, according to NJ Advance Media.
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