Wesleyan College has overturned its decision in June to expel a student for racist social media posts, the school said in a statement Tuesday.
One post attributed to the student read “Bear down on these (expletives),” using a racial slur to demean Black people.
Many criticized the decision by Wesleyan, a private, women’s college in Macon, to overturn the expulsion of the unidentified student.
> RELATED: Wesleyan College expels student for racist social media posts
Wesleyan posted on its social media sites Tuesday that it considered unspecified “new information ... which called into question the accuracy of the original information” to overturn the expulsion. A committee of students, faculty and staff reviewed new details, and found that the student did not make the statements in June, as part of its decision.
The college said in its statement that the student broke no rule or policy. It added that it will work to make sure the student transitions seamlessly back on campus, but it will also continue efforts to improve its campus diversity and inclusion.
“Even though we erred in judgment in the case of this particular student, that will not deter us from doing our part to denounce racism and hate and build an environment where mutual respect and understanding can flourish,” the college wrote.
On June 4, Wesleyan issued a statement that it had expelled a student for allegedly posting racist content to her social...
Posted by Wesleyan College - First For Women on Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Several people posted responses on the college’s social media sites denouncing the decision. They said it shouldn’t matter when the student posted the comments and that the college should not tolerate racism in any form.
“Disappointing is an understatement,” one person responded on Instagram.
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Wesleyan, which has about 765 students, has — under pressure in recent years from students and graduates — made changes to address its history of racism. In 2017, for example, the college made a formal apology for past decisions, such as engaging in Ku Klux Klan rituals. About 37% of its students are Black, federal data shows.
The AJC is seeking comment from the college about the decision. Please return for updates.
