Recently I was asked to weigh in on a case involving a student whose behavior on social media last summer cost him both his place on an athletic team at a prominent university and ultimately the opportunity to enroll at the institution. An adult who is trying to help the young man deal with the consequences of his actions and move forward contacted a close friend for advice, and that led to my being asked to consult.
The case could be described as “ripped from today’s headlines,” and in fact it received coverage last summer on several national media websites. During the summer of 2020 the student in question and a friend appeared in a 38-second video, taken by another buddy, that subsequently went viral. On the video they used the same racial slur that in the past month led country music star Morgan Wallen to be declared ineligible for the Association of Country Music Awards and New York Times science reporter Donald G. McNeil, Jr. to lose his job.
The adult seeking to help the young man became aware of his plight through his son, who works out with him and vouches for him as “a great guy who made a mistake.” That conclusion is reportedly shared by several black athletes who are in the workout group along with several of his coaches who are black.
The situation was described to me as “a pure public relations issue” in the sense that there are no pending legal consequences. The three boys involved had been drinking and were supposedly using the word in question to refer to each other, and yet the one behind the camera (who also had his college admission rescinded) clearly made a derogatory comment about George Floyd.
My friend and I were asked specifically about the college admission implications. The athlete has reportedly written a detailed accounting of the incident for a college essay, but we were asked if the student is legally required to disclose the incident. Do colleges need to know, and do admission offices do “background checks” on all applicants?
I will not name the student out of respect for privacy and because I am more interested in the larger issues raised by this specific case.
Let’s start with the contention that what we have here is a public relations problem. I think that characterization fundamentally misunderstands and understates the seriousness of the offense. There may be no legal jeopardy, but it is a character issue, for two different reasons.
The first is the use of the word. In 2021 racial bigotry or insensitivity is a character flaw, and there is no conceivable justification for any white person using a word that is so obviously derogatory, hurtful, and hateful, with the possible exception of Twain scholars discussing Huckleberry Finn (and even that is open to debate). I work with high school students and know that they say terrible things to each other in private, but even if that were the case here (and the reference to George Floyd renders that doubtful) that doesn’t make this acceptable. The same is true of using the slur and claiming you are quoting rap lyrics. Regardless of whether you believe that Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head are victims of cancel culture or that Trumpism is really an attempt to Make America Hate Again, there is no reason to use that word.
The second consideration is the public nature of the incident once it went viral on social media. This generation of students will likely find social media, and specifically their social media footprint, a cross to bear as adults. Their worst moments are now preserved in a way that my generation never had to worry about. How many of them will lose jobs or opportunities because of their “youthful indiscretions,” a term the late Congressman Henry Hyde used to try to explain away an affair that ended when he was in his 40s?
The students in this case are now public figures. Their story has been covered by major news outlets, and they now bear the burden of proof to show that this is a one-time screw-up rather than a pattern of behavior. They need to show, in short, that they are not racists but merely dumbasses.
That is also why they can’t try to avoid reporting their situations to colleges. It doesn’t appear to me that they have done anything that forces them to answer “yes” to application questions about discipline, but my advice would be that they have to expect that colleges will find out, and it is going to be better if the information comes directly from them rather than from someone else. If they were to be admitted without the college knowing the whole story, they might be expelled even if they keep their noses clean once in school because it will appear they weren’t forthcoming about the truth.
In response to the question about whether colleges do social media background checks on applicants, the answer has historically been no, but that may be changing. A recent article in Inside Higher Ed reported on a 2020 survey conducted by Kaplan indicating that 65% of admission officers see students’ social media footprints as fair game in the admissions process, with only 36% actively checking applicants’ profiles. That figure is 11% higher than just two years ago. Coaches have always been more likely to check the social medial profiles of recruits. Even if colleges aren’t checking social media postings, they will respond if a negative post or video is brought to their attention, including rescinding acceptances.
So how does this young man move forward? He has paid a price for his action, and he should have. But should he be given an opportunity for redemption?
The adult seeking to help the young man had received advice from legal and HR professionals in the corporate world to do some sort of formal sensitivity training. Several college coaches interested in recruiting the athlete have indicated that a certificate indicating completion of that kind of training will allow them to move forward with their administrations.
I think that is a piece of the redemption process, but I don’t think it’s enough. Colleges willing to consider him will want to know that he understands the gravity of his offense and that he has learned from the incident. That must include some sort of work on race and reconciliation, but I would caution against doing something that looks like he’s checking a box. Sensitivity training is a piece but I would also want him to do some sustained community service addressing issues of racial injustice. He has dug a hole for himself, and climbing out will require time, sincere reflection, and a significant effort to repair the damage done by his words.
If he was my student I would be advising him to deal with the issue up front, having a conversation about his situation before even applying. He may find a number of places unforgiving, but if I were him I would want to know that a college knows my past and is willing to give me a chance nevertheless. I think using his essay to address his mistake is a good thing, and if there are adults who can vouch for his character, especially from within the African-American community, he should seek letters of recommendation from them.
This young man deserves a second chance, but that second chance won’t come as quickly or as easily as he might hope. He is not going to just get beyond this. He may hope to be forgiven, but he shouldn’t expect people to forget.