Harvard rescinds admissions offers to 12 students for offensive, tasteless material on FB Group.

[gibby]

@MYOS1634 wrote “I think explaining what is considered ‘offensive’ could be useful to this site’s readers at least.”

FWIW: One of the students involved private messaged me asking if I thought there was a chance s/he would be rescinded. My reply is below

Your actions – as individuals and as a group – calls into question your character, judgement, maturity and religious tolerance. It gives an administration pause as to what you might do once enrolled at the school where appreciation and respect of other cultures, peoples and religions is held in high regard.

All colleges — from selective colleges to state schools – have a zero tolerance policy for this sort of thing. You can find many examples of colleges expelling and prosecuting currently enrolled students for posting swastikas. See:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/27/universitys-action-over-student-who-posted-swastika-bulletin-board-sets

http://washingtonjewishweek.com/20703/gwu-frat-expels-student-who-posted-swastika-on-campus/news/

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/education/edlife/confederate-symbols-swastikas-and-student-sensibilities.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/23/northern-california-college-students-vandalize-dorms-with-swastikas.html

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2016/12/07/vadim-imperioli-arrested-swastikas/95095178/

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/fake-hate-jewish-students-painted-swastika-trump-campus-church/

If I were part of the administration, I would recommend you take a gap year off and work for a holocaust museum or a jewish organization to gain a deeper understanding of what you did and how offensive it was to others. But that’s just me; I have no idea what the Administration will do.

Since then, I’ve heard nothing from the student.