Parkland Shooting Survivor's past Racist Remarks Cost Him a Spot in Harvard

18-year-old Kyle Kashuv, a survivor of last year's mass shooting in Parkland, Florida finds himself without a college to go to after Harvard rescinded his admission due to a racist text message he sent two years ago. He launched a series of tweets calling out the Ivy League school for its painful decision.

Your past can catch up with you in the present and bite you. That’s what Parkland shooting survivor, Kyle Kashuv learned when Harvard rescinded his admission after a racist text he wrote two years ago surfaced recently.

MASS SHOOTING SURVIVOR SHARES PAINFUL LETTER FROM HARVARD

18-year-old Kashuv who was one of the fortunate survivors of last year’s mass shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, shared a copy of the letter he received from the Ivy League school which reveals his admission was revoked.

According to the letter dated June 3, 2019 and tweeted by Kashuv, after "careful deliberation" by the Admissions Committee of the school, they decided to rescind the student’s admission explaining, “the Committee takes seriously the qualities of maturity and moral character.”

"In the end, this isn’t about me, it's about whether we live in a society in which forgiveness is possible or mistakes brand you as irredeemable, as Harvard has decided for me.”

“The Admissions Committee has discussed at length your account of the communications about which we asked, and we appreciated your candor and your expressions of regret for sending them,” the letter also read before it announced its final decision. “After careful consideration the committee voted to rescind your admission to Harvard College.”

“Harvard deciding that someone can’t grow, especially after a life-altering event like the shooting, is deeply concerning."

THE TEXT MESSAGE THAT SEALED HIS FATE IN HARVARD

The text in question which was unearthed by the Huffington Post was shared in a Google document for a class study guide and was viewed by Kashuv’s classmates. It contained foul language including the repeated use of the N-word.

“like im really good at typing [n-word] ok like practice uhhhhhh makes perfect son??!!”Kashuv even adds.

In response to the revelation of his text messages, Kashuv apologized and attributed his actions to “16-year-olds making idiotic comments, using callous and inflammatory language in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible.”

"If Harvard is suggesting that growth isn’t possible and that our past defines our future, then Harvard is an inherently racist institution."

KASHUV LAUNCHES TIRADE AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY

However, that didn’t seem enough for Harvard to dismiss his texts as an error from his past. In fact, many believe the school made the right decision and that Kashuv should just accept that there are consequences to his actions and he should take responsibility for it. Instead, Kashuv released a series of tweets slamming the school for its rash decision against him. One of them read,

“Harvard deciding that someone can’t grow, especially after a life-altering event like the shooting, is deeply concerning. If any institution should understand growth, it’s Harvard, which is looked to as the pinnacle of higher education despite its checkered past.”

Then he continues with a follow-up tweet.

“Throughout its history, Harvard’s faculty has included slave owners, segregationists, bigots and antisemites. If Harvard is suggesting that growth isn’t possible and that our past defines our future, then Harvard is an inherently racist institution. But I don’t believe that. I believe that institutions and people can grow.”

He further added,

“I believe that institutions and people can grow. I've said that repeatedly. In the end, this isn’t about me, it's about whether we live in a society in which forgiveness is possible or mistakes brand you as irredeemable, as Harvard has decided for me.”

HIS FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN

Kashuv also revealed that he requested a face to face meeting with the school after receiving their letter to fight for his case. But they responded by declining.

He now worries he will be left without a school to go to since application deadlines are over. He said he gave up scholarships in other schools just to go to Harvard. “Im exploring all options at the moment,” he said.

THE PARKLAND MASSACRE

Kashuv was one of the survivors of the shooting that occurred Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day in 2018. A former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School walked into the campus and opened fire claiming the lives of 17 people and 2 others who committed suicide shortly after the anniversary of the incident. The tragic event now holds the record of being the deadliest high school shooting in US history surpassing 1999's Columbine High School massacre.