Harvard Rescinds Admission To Parkland Shooting Survivor

Harvard University rescinded admission to a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting after racist messages surfaced. Kyle Kashuv said Monday morning his admission to Harvard was rescinded three months after being accepted.

Kashuv, known for his pro-gun rights advocacy since the massacre, said he was made aware a few weeks ago about what he said were "egregious and callous comments classmates and I made privately years ago — when I was 16 years old, months before the shooting — in an attempt to be as extreme and shocking as possible."

Kashuv said he immediately apologized. Soon after, he received a letter from Harvard Dean of Admissions William Fitzsimmons warning him his admission was being reviewed. Fitzsimmons said the school could yank its admission offer "if you engage or have engaged in behavior that brings into question your honesty, maturity, or moral character."

Over a week later, Harvard told Kashuv it rescinded his admission. Kashuv said Harvard declined his request to discuss the issue in person.

Comments made two years ago by Kashuv surfaced via screenshots of a Google Doc and text messages. One purported to show him using a racial slur more than a dozen times.

Kashuv rose to prominence for his gun rights advocacy in the wake of the Feb. 2018 shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 14 of his classmates and three staff members. He met President Trump and appeared on Fox News, advocating that school teachers and staff should be armed.