A Pennsylvania college board member, who went viral for a racial slur-filled-road rage outburst, has left his post at the school as video of the blowup has gone viral.
Jonathan Spanos, a local restaurant owner, has resigned from his position on the Penn State York Advisory Board earlier this week after he was recorded shouting the slur over several times in the 40-second video posted to X.
Spanos was captured confronting an unidentified male and female in the middle of a street when he spewed out the vile comments towards the two.
“Keep videoing,” Spanos challenged the woman behind the camera who confronted him for shouting the slur multiple times.
“I am racist,” Spanos says as the man he was arguing with confirms, “John Spanos is a racist.”
The former advisory board member alleged his adversaries had “popped the finger” at him and they were in the wrong.
Penn State York confirmed Spanos’ resignation on Tuesday in a series of replies to the original video on X.
“This hateful language has no place in our community and is not reflective of the University’s values or our desire to foster an inclusive environment,” the school’s official X account wrote. “The appropriate offices at Penn State have been notified and we are looking into this matter with urgency.
“Jonathan Spanos is no longer a member of the Penn State York Advisory Board,” it said in a follow-up message.
The original video, posted to its own dedicated X account, has been viewed over 60,000 times and has sparked local civil rights groups to condemn the rant.
The NAACP York County Branch called for immediate action from Spanos to resign from his board seat and his ownership of the Paddock on Market, a seafood restaurant located in York, PA.
“The NAACP York County Branch is deeply troubled by the recent incident involving Mr. Jonathan Spanos,” President Jamiel Alexander said Monday. “Such behavior is malicious and stands in stark contrast to the values of equality and respect that our community strives to uphold.”
Spanos held a press conference on Wednesday where he offered an apology for the rant.
“My name is Jonathan Spanos, I am the individual who was recorded using racist language in a recently released video,” he said, according to video from Fox 43.
“I am humiliated and embarrassed by my behavior, the community that I have served for over 25 years, the state and government, people human deserve better from me.”
The restaurant owner says he was approached by a group of pastors and other leaders where he was encouraged to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness.
Spanos sought forgiveness during his apology, saying the outburst came from a “heated family confrontation.”
“Due to the video’s wide distribution, I hope this confession and plea for forgiveness are also far-reaching,” he said.
During the press conference, Spanos was joined by members of the NAACP, the Black Ministers Association and the Confronting Racism Coalition.
“By no means does our presence at this conference signify all is well because all is not well,” NAACP York County incoming President Dr. Sherry Washington said.
“The Confronting Racism Coalition recognizes Mr. Spanos’s apology and ownership of those actions as important first steps on the long journey in this community towards healing, equity, inclusion, and reconciliation,” said Dr. Larry Walthour.
