At least 10 prospective students expecting to join the Harvard University class of 2021 have had their acceptances rescinded by the school after participating in a Facebook messaging group at one point called “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens,”according to the college newspaper, The Crimson. Those who had their acceptance taken away had exchanged obscene memes that were racially and sexually insensitive.
The online group was a spinoff of another page created by the incoming freshman class. But this meme exchange was much darker than usual. According to screenshots obtained by the student newspaper, posts mocked sexual assault and the Holocaust, and several others had punchlines aimed at different racial and ethnic groups. A student told The Crimson that members of the initial page were encouraged to post provocative memes before being allowed to join the spinoff group.
Harvard officials found out about the group chat and sent out emails in April, asking identified participants to explain their involvement in the group. Later, they received notification that their acceptance had been withdrawn.
The university has said it does not comment on the admission status of individuals, and reserves the right to withdraw acceptance under certain conditions. The withdrawal of acceptance is final, according to The Crimson report.