A university has launched an investigation after a picture emerged of a student with a racial slur and swastika written across his chest during a drinking game.
The photo shows a male student with “I HATE N****S” and a Nazi symbol both written in red lipstick.
The photograph shows the word “n****s”, an alternate spelling of the racial epithet “n*****s”.
The unnamed University of Central Lancashire student claimed the words were drawn by his girlfriend, who is black, and insisted: “I had no control over what was written.”
He said the incident happened after the woman was asked to “write the most offensive thing possible” as part of their drinking game, and said he did not consent to the photo.
And he refused to apologise for the offensive sign and words, saying: “I was not responsible for them.”
He told student news site The Tab: “It was part of a drinking game where I had to allow my girlfriend to write whatever she wanted on my chest.
“The person who wrote that is black and chose that message ironically.
“As anyone who was there that night will confirm, I had absolutely no control over what was written and did not consent to any images being taken.
“They are now being used to attack me as the person with these images is well aware. I had no power [over] the situation.
“Whilst I acknowledge that these images and their content are very harmful and disgusting, I will not apologise because, as I’ve stated, I was not responsible for them.
“I would also point out that the reason she wrote that is because the app we were using said to write the most offensive thing possible.”
The University of Central Lancashire has launched an investigation into the matter, which it said it was treating “very seriously”.
A spokesperson said: “We do not condone any form of harassment, bullying or hate crime and our ethos is for everyone to treat each other with respect.
“We take matters such as this very seriously and have been carrying out an investigation into all aspects of this case and will work directly with those involved in this matter.
“There is complexity to this investigation, and it would not be appropriate to share the details of the case nor breach the confidentiality of the individuals involved as we deal with this matter appropriately.”
However, one of the students who initially shared the image online and reported it to the university has since been suspended on the grounds of harassment.
They said: “It’s very stressful and upsetting, especially as I would like to get my degree at the end of my three years of hard work. I don’t want to be expelled for standing up against discrimination.”
Lancashire Police has confirmed the incident has been reported and is currently being investigated.
SWNS
