Harvard Rescinds Acceptance Of Parkland Shooting Survivor After Racial Slurs Come To Light

Guns rights advocate Kyle Kashuv

Kyle Kashuv, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting, has had his acceptance to Harvard University rescinded after several racial comments posted on social media came to light.

Mediaite reports the messages, which featured several uses of the n-word, prompted Kashuv to apologize last month.

“I want to address this with honesty and transparency,” wrote Kashuv regarding his racist remarks, which he noted was “long before" the February 2017 massacre. “We were 16-year-olds making idiotic comments, using callous and inflammatory language in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible. I’m embarrassed by it, but I want to be clear that the comments I made are not indicative of who I am or who I’ve become in the years since.”

But in a letter Kashuv shared on Twitter, Harvard informed the student his admission was being withdrawn.

“[The Admissions Committee] takes seriously the qualities of maturity and moral character. After careful consideration, the Committee voted to rescind your admission to Harvard,” wrote Harvard. “We are sorry about the circumstances that have led us to withdraw your admissions, and we wish you success in your future academic endeavors and beyond.”

Kashuv took to Twitter to lament his situation.

1/ THREAD: Harvard rescinded my acceptance.

Three months after being admitted to Harvard Class of 2023, Harvard has decided to rescind my admission over texts and comments made nearly two years ago, months prior to the shooting.

I have some thoughts. Here’s what happened.

— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 17, 2019

2/ 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 apologized.

Here is my apology: pic.twitter.com/eI38ziiQE8

— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 17, 2019

3/ After I issued this apology, speculative articles were written, my peers used the opportunity to attack me, and my life was once again reduced to a headline.

It sent me into one of the darkest spirals of my life.

— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 17, 2019

4/ After the story broke, former peers & political opponents began contacting Harvard urging them to rescind me. Harvard then sent this letter stating that Harvard "reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission" and requested a written explanation within 72 hours. pic.twitter.com/RfEQCvjgDX

— Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) June 17, 2019

Kashuv goes on to say he gave up "huge scholarships in order to go to Harvard, and the deadline for accepting other college offers has ended."

He adds he is currently "exploring all options at the moment."

You'll note Kashuv doesn't share the offending comments. He says they occurred "years ago" when he was sixteen.

I'm not sure a teenager suddenly 'evolved' on the issue of racial slurs in two years. Maybe, but, maybe not.

After 17 people were gunned down at his school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, Kashuv gained a substantial social media following after appearing on several news outlets (CBS News, Fox News) to advocate for civilian gun use and against gun control laws.

He also traveled to the White House to meet with Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Conservatives on Twitter are complaining that comments Kashuv made "when he was a kid" (they were two years ago) shouldn't be held against him.

Twitter users posted examples of Kashuv's "callous comments:"

TW: Extreme racist language

Here's some of the racist language 16 y.o. Kyle Kashuv used, resulting in Harvard rescinding his admittance. Colleges take into account a student's entire high school record when making decisions, and using slurs is 100% fair game for consideration. pic.twitter.com/fWssTqHzhl

— Kendally Brown (@kendallybrown) June 17, 2019

The racial slurs in an open Google doc have gotten more attention, but I suspect these texts from Kyle Kashuv may have weighed heavier in Harvard's decision. pic.twitter.com/hu7CYyE1M3

— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) June 17, 2019

David Hogg put his neck on the line and fought for gun control while getting death threats daily...

Kyle Kashuv sat behind a computer and made racist comments online...

Do you really want to know which teenager deserves to go to Harvard and who doesn’t.

— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) June 17, 2019

(h/t JoeMyGod)