Penn State York investigates racial slur incident

Note: This post contains a link to a video of someone uttering offensive racial slurs.

Penn State York said it believes a man associated with the college used racial slurs in a video shared on social media.

In the video posted by YorkpaRacist on November 10th

PennLive could not independently confirm the identity of the man who used the racial slurs in the video, but a Penn State York spokesman said they believed he was Jonathan Spanos, a member of the school’s advisory board .

Spanos also owns Paddock on Market, a seafood restaurant in York County. He could not be reached for comment.

Penn State York shared the following statement: “This hateful language has no place in our community and does not reflect the university’s values ​​or our desire to foster an inclusive environment.” The appropriate Penn State offices have been notified and we are reviewing the matter urgently.”

Spanos is listed as the college’s 2014 valedictorian. Penn State York’s website says Spanos endowed the J. Spanos Family Trustee Scholarship in honor of his parents and three sisters.

In response to the incident, the York County NAACP chapter released a statement Monday: “Such behavior is malicious and stands in stark contrast to the values ​​of equality and respect that our community strives to uphold.”

“Using this demeaning term is not only offensive, but it perpetuates the systemic racism that the NAACP has fought against for over a century. It is particularly concerning when such statements come from people who hold positions of influence and authority in our educational institutions and business communities.”