A Stockton University student whose black-faced photo with a racial slur drew calls for her expulsion will face no disciplinary action because the incident happened before she was a student, according to the university's president.
Shelby Israel is seen in the photo with black makeup on her face and a paper on her forehead with the words, "I'm a n-----," written on it.
In a written statement, Israel said the picture was taken in 2015, when she was a high school freshman.
As a result of the timing, the university has no jurisdiction, Stockton President Harvey Kesselman said in a statement in which he said he has been "enraged, disappointed and appalled."
"Although we have no legal or administrative basis to discipline (Israel) for her behavior before she came to our university, we recognize, acknowledge and share the outrage about this conduct, but likewise, hold that (it) is possible to grow and change," he wrote. "Shelby has pledged to perform community service and undergo sensitivity training. She must make good on her commitment."
In a statement released to The Press of Atlantic City, Israel said she pointed out that the image was old "only to acknowledge that five years is a span of time in which a person can radically change their viewpoints."
"I also understand how this reflects especially poorly on me as a nursing student," she continued. "While I cannot take back my past actions, I can acknowledge that, as an adult, I understand more about the numerous struggles that people of color face in accessing fairly administered healthcare. I believe that it’s the duty of all students involved in health and wellness programs to pursue diverse education and to continue learning from and listening to the voices of those most affected by healthcare disparities in this country. This has been a painful few weeks for the nation and for the Stockton community."
A petition calling for her expulsion had surpassed 119,000 signatures Saturday.
The investigation into a second student is in its final stages, Kesselman said.
Gunnar Pearson came under fire for tweets that included, “Imagine flying the flag in a country that you’re so happy to be in and gets ripped down by twisted fruit bags. That’s a joke, boy would get a 9mm down his throat,” he wrote in one.
After being called racist, Pearson then questioned the allegation in a retweet of the petition against him.
“Are you kidding, that’s racist!???” he wrote. “They all are literally going by media and not looking for the back facts as to why I said what was in my tweets. For talking it has gotten this, silent ones please for the love of god help it’s sickening.”
In a later post, he apologized for the content and its interpretation. But he has since locked his Twitter so that only followers can see his posts.
"Stockton, as an institution devoted to learning, will not turn its back on ignorance or prejudice," Kesselman wrote Friday. "Our role as a university is to educate and encourage discussion and debate toward a goal of greater understanding and change. We will do that.
But, to succeed, we must change views, not just condemn them."
Students who see racist or violent posts are told to submit a Bias Incident Reporting Form.
They are also urged to report any criminal conduct or threatening behavior to the Stockton University Police Department.
