Student leader says chapter’s sign also was stolen from Sept. 11 memorial
A conservative student group at Gettysburg College says it’s left without answers after a display remembering the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was vandalized earlier this month.
Tyler Seeman, president of the private college’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, told The College Fix he learned that the investigation into the incident was closed when he read it in the student newspaper last week.
In a phone interview Thursday, Seeman said a sign was stolen from their “9/11 Never Forget Project” display less than 24 hours after they set it up Sept. 10 on the Stine Lake area of campus.
In a separate incident on the same day, he said other chapter members found a bag of what appeared to be dog excrement thrown on the display.
“We don’t know if the same individual did both,” Seeman told The Fix, adding administrators told him there is “no camera overlooking the area,” which makes it difficult to identify suspects.
“Theft and vandalism have no place at colleges and universities, and the circumstances are not improved by the fact that this crime was targeted against a 9/11 display dedicated to the victims of the deadliest terrorist attack in American history,” he said via email.
Seeman told The Fix via phone that administrators did discuss the incidents with YAF student leaders and reported the matter to campus safety.
However, Seeman said he was never contacted about the investigation. On Wednesday, he said a crime log in The Gettysburgian reported it as “Closed (No Known Suspects or Witnesses).”
The campus safety office directed The Fix to the college communications office when contacted about the matter.
“The incident was reported to campus safety. Unfortunately, while we have a photo of the bag of dog excrement, there were no eye-witnesses or new information that has come to light to allow us to fully investigate what happened,” spokesperson Jamie Yates told The Fix via email Friday.
“If more information is available, we will certainly revisit the investigation. Of course, if this was done intentionally, it is deeply disrespectful and does not live up to our community values and expectations,” Yates said.
In an email shared with The Fix by Seeman, Director of Student Activities Jonathan Allen also provided a statement in response to the incidents.
“YAF leadership at Gettysburg informed us that someone placed a bag of dog excrement within their 9/11 commemoration display,” Allen wrote in the Sept. 18 statement.
“If intentional, and we are looking into the circumstances, this act is deeply disrespectful to the memory of those lost, undermines the significance of this solemn remembrance, and is counter to the values of our community,” Allen stated.
Seeman expressed disappointment that the statement did not mention the theft of their sign.
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He said he also hopes college leaders “will soon remind the campus community of freedom of expression protections and practices.”
At the same time, Seeman did express appreciation that campus administrators have protected conservative students’ freedom of speech in the past. He brought up an event where leaders defended their right to chalk messages on the sidewalk.
Despite the problems with their recent display, Seeman said the chapter “was able to reach out to and engage students with this event who otherwise do not attend our meetings and initiatives.”
However, he said it’s “unfortunate that this is their first impression of what happens to duly registered, reserved, and sanctioned public displays on Gettysburg College’s campus.”
“The left here is very vocal, and there are some vile things coming out of it,” he told The Fix.
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IMAGE: Tyler Seeman
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