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Alleged Penn State Student Criticized For Using Hate Speech

A man believed to be a Penn State student received heavy criticism on Twitter Saturday after screenshots of him using hate speech surfaced on social media.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett posted a few screenshots of his Instagram direct messages Saturday afternoon, publicizing the racist remarks he receives. The third image, which featured a message calling Garrett a “dumb [N-word],” was sent by Patrick Sclafani, who Twitter users quickly identified as a Penn State student.

The university promptly replied with its go-to response, citing it can’t immediately confirm whether or not Sclafani, who previously had “P S U” in his Instagram bio, is a Penn State student. It condemned the hate speech and said it’s currently working to verify the individual’s identity.

According to Penn State’s student directory, Sclafani is an undergraduate student majoring in recreation, park, and tourism management.

A Penn State spokesperson did not comment on whether or not the university would potentially take disciplinary action against the alleged student. After similar events occurred earlier this summer, Penn State issued a statement acknowledging it doesn’t have the power to expel a student over their speech “no matter how reprehensible it may be.”

When similar incidents surfaced earlier this year, Penn State took steps to address racism and bias in its community by implementing mandatory training for faculty and staff and convening a task force to reexamine its Student Code of Conduct.

We’ll update this post with more information as it becomes available.

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About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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