Showing posts with label Dharun Ravi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dharun Ravi. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Dharun Ravi Indicted: When Bullying Becomes a Crime

UPDATE, March 16, 2012: Dharun Ravi Found Guilty in Rutgers Trial

A New Jersey jury today found former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi guilty on all counts for using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having a gay sexual encounter in 2010.

Ravi, 20, was convicted of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest, stemming from his role in activating the webcam to peek at Clementi's date with a man in the dorm room on Sept. 19, 2010. Ravi was also convicted of encouraging others to spy during a second date, on Sept. 21, 2010, and intimidating Clementi for being gay.

Ravi was found not guilty of some subparts of the 15 counts of bias intimidation, attempted invasion of privacy, and attempted bias intimidation, but needed only to be found guilty of one part of each count to be convicted.

The convictions carry a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison. Because Ravi is a citizen of India, and is in the US on a green card, he could be deported following his sentencing. The US deports most criminals convicted of felonies, with the exception of thefts of amounts under $10,000.

________________

Dharun Ravi, the college roommate from hell, was indicted today.

From the New York Daily News:

A former Rutgers University freshman was indicted Wednesday for secretly viewing a same-sex encounter involving his roommate - who later jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge.

Dharun Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, N.J., could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the top charges in the 15-count indictment announced by Middlesex County prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Ravi was charged by a grand jury with bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering for using a webcam to spy on Tyler Clementi's dorm room date with another man.

Once Clementi's Sept. 22, 2010, suicide became public, Ravi asked witnesses not to implicate him and gave misleading information to investigators, Kaplan said.

According to the indictment, Ravi also knew the target of his webcam would be intimidated because of his sexual orientation.

"The grand jury indictment spells out cold and calculated acts against our son Tyler by his former college roommate," the Clementi family said in a statement.

"If these facts are true, as they appear to be, then it is important for our criminal justice system to establish clear accountability under law. We are eager to have the process moved forward for justice in this case."

What Ravi did (allegedly) to Tyler Clementi was beyond cruel. It was criminal.

If Ravi is convicted, he could spend 5 years in prison.

I think the odds of him serving that sort of sentence are slim. But hopefully, he will be held accountable under the law and given more than a slap on the wrist.

It seems inadequate to use the term "bullying" for what Ravi did to Clementi. Clearly, Ravi took bullying to new heights.

How does it get to the point where bullying becomes a crime? How could Ravi, an adult, be so callous and inhumane and lacking in conscience?

Somewhere along the line, Ravi wasn't reined in. I don't believe this was the first time Ravi bullied someone. I doubt that he suddenly turned into a thug. I suspect it was a life-long pattern with him.

Bottom line: People in positions of authority - teachers, coaches, parents, adults - cannot look the other way when they see a child being victimized. They must intervene and take bullying seriously. The bullies must face consequences. They must be punished for their anti-social behavior.

No happy, healthy individual would torture another innocent human being.

Authority figures must NOT blame the victims. When the adults ignore the sadistic behavior of bullies, they passively condone it. That is unacceptable. It is unconscionable.

The bullies are empowered and their hate-filled habits escalate.

It is inexcusable.

When people in positions of authority fail to stop bullying, they create monsters like Ravi.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Latin King Goonies: Gangs and Gays

Sunday evening, I saw this story on the NBC Nightly News.

Video.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


The violence is horrific.

More on the "brutal anti-gay attacks," from the New York Daily News:

Eight gay-hating Bronx gangbangers accused of one of the city's most savage crimes in years appeared in court Sunday to face charges in what Mayor Bloomberg called an act of "pure evil."

They stand accused of torturing and terrorizing a gay man, his older brother, and two teenagers over the course of many hours Oct. 3 in Morris Heights.

"Is it true you're a fag?" ringleader Idelfonso (Cheto) Mendez allegedly demanded of his bound victims before punching them in the face.

Prosecutors said he repeated the query and the punch over and over again.

The eight were hit with a slew of charges including gang assault, sexual assault, robbery, weapons possession and hate crimes. The gang assault count alone is enough to put them away for 25 years.

None of the defendants - Mendez, 23; Elmer Confresi, 23; David Rivera, 21; Bryan Almonte, 17; Steven Caraballo, 17; Nelson Falu, 17; Denis Peitars, 17; and Brian Cepeda, 16, all of the Bronx - entered pleas.

They are due back in court Oct. 14. Only Peitars and Caraballo were offered the chance to post $50,000 cash bail.

A ninth suspect, Rudy Vargas-Perez, 22, remained at large.

"Given how much we know, we'll get him," Bloomberg said.

Speaking at East Ward Baptist Church in Harlem, the mayor on Sunday called the attack "pure evil."

"Their heinous crime, I think, is matched only by their warped mindsets," he said.

...Members of a penny-ante crew calling themselves the Latin King Goonies, the defendants are accused of a depraved rampage that began at 3 a.m. on Oct. 3, after learning a 17-year-old wannabe recruit had been seen with a 30-year-old gay man.

In the abandoned three-story house at 1910 Osborne Place, they used as a clubhouse - and turned into a makeshift torture chamber - they allegedly stripped the boy naked, beat him, slashed him with a box cutter and sodomized him with a plunger handle.

That evening, a second 17-year-old was tied up in the house and interrogated about his relationship the 30-year-old man.

They then allegedly lured the older man to the house, stripped him, tied him to a chair and forced the 17-year-old to hit him in the face and burn his genitals with cigarettes as they jeered.

They then allegedly battered the older man with chains and sodomized him with a small baseball bat.

Some of the gangbangers also went to his 40-year-old brother's apartment and beat him, and forcing him to give them $1,000 dollars by putting him on the phone with his terrified captive brother.

They left him tied to his bed with his eyes, nose and mouth covered with tape, close to suffocation.

The other victims were allowed to go free but warned they would be killed if they revealed what happened to them.

The gangbangers allegedly cleaned their torture chamber with bleach, ripped up carpet and repainted the walls in an attempt to cover their tracks.

Tipsters told police what happened, and cops began arresting the crew Wednesday.

Here's more, from the Associated Press:
Gay men and women live openly in the largely Hispanic neighborhood where the Oct. 3 beatings took place, Morris Heights, and while residents were disturbed by some past violent behavior blamed on the defendants, some said they hadn't previously targeted homosexuals.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is openly gay, and other elected officials went to the empty brick town house where the attacks occurred and passed out leaflets.

"People were very, very clear that they wanted it to be known that the acts of these individuals do not represent their neighborhood," Quinn said. "They were as stunned as anyone that something so violent, so premeditated ... could happen here."

OK.

I've been hearing about this story for a while now and my reaction is the same. I continue to be troubled about the way it's being reported.

The NBC report doesn't emphasize that these are the actions of a GANG. The emphasis is on the abuse of gays.

Read about the behavior of the members immersed in GANG culture, from the New York Daily News:

The members of a sadistic Bronx crew accused of torturing a man and two teens because they were gay claimed the gang's leaders forced them to participate - or become victims themselves.

Police sources said several members of the Latin King Goonies told detectives they would have been slashed and beaten if they did not help torment the defenseless victims.

The threats were allegedly made by ringleader Ildefonso (Cheto) Mendez, who orchestrated the homophobic assaults after learning that a 17-year-old gang recruit was gay. That recruit was made to watch as they sodomized his older boyfriend with a miniature baseball bat - and the teen was then forced to burn his lover with cigarettes.

...The sick attacks - the latest in a surge in anti-gay incidents across the region - outraged public leaders.

"When any New Yorker is attacked because of who they are or who they love, the fabric that binds us together is torn," Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.

The torture began early last Sunday in an abandoned Morris Heights building - nicknamed the Goonie House - where gang members frequently partied. The 30-year-old victim's older brother was later beaten and robbed at his Bronx home.

Mendez was charged with robbery in 2005 and with gun possession in 2007 and 2009, records show. Neighbors at his E. 197th St. building described Mendez rounding up friends to torture a stray cat two months ago. "One of the cat's eyes was out and one of these [guys] was poking its eye socket with a stick," said the neighbor. "They were cheering like they just scored a touchdown."

The story of them torturing the stray cat is sick and sadistic. These thugs have no respect for any life. They have no compassion. In short, they're bad people.

No question, the brutal attacks carried out by the Latin King Goonies were heinous crimes. The members that engaged in the torturing of the three individuals are animals.

I'm glad they're off the streets. They aren't fit to live among law-abiding citizens. Clearly, they're a danger to the community.

There should be no confusion about where I stand on the attacks. I'm sickened by them. I want the thugs to face the maximum punishment for their criminal behavior.

What bothers me though is the ridiculousness of the outrage over known thugs behaving like thugs.

It's the hate crime angle, the anti-gay aspect of the attacks, that's bringing this story so much national attention. But there's more to this than "hating gay people."

The violence and cruelty permeate the way of life of the Latin King Goonies. It's a GANG thing.

Another thing being lost in the coverage of the attacks is the fact that one of the victims was a recruit.

One of the victims wanted to be a member of the Latin King Goonies. He wanted to prey on others, behave violently, and break the law.

Of course, I'm not saying that because the victim was a wannabe member that he somehow got what he deserved. Absolutely not. But I think it's important to highlight that those involved are thugs. They're criminals.

It seems to me that there's a lot of posturing happening. Bloomberg is outraged over the "pure evil" of the attacks on gays, but he's not pointing out that these were thugs, members of a GANG. Where's the outrage about that?

Gay men and women live openly in the largely Hispanic neighborhood where the Oct. 3 beatings took place, Morris Heights, and while residents were disturbed by some past violent behavior blamed on the defendants, some said they hadn't previously targeted homosexuals.

Why was the past violent behavior by the thugs dismissed?

I don't get that.

These attacks aren't on the same plane as some bullying incidents, like the Rutgers case, with Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei torturing Tyler Clementi. Ravi and Wei allegedly acted illegally and they spread their own type of evil, but it wasn't violent.

What the Latin King Goonies did was extremely violent. They did what GANGS do.

I realize that they haven't targeted gays before, and their brutal anti-gay attacks are shocking; but good grief, they're not boy scouts. We know that. We know that one victim wanted to be one of them.

There's a lot of dysfunction here.

There should be outrage about the terrible violence, but there shouldn't be surprise. We're talking about a GANG.

Perhaps the law-abiding residents of the neighborhood shouldn't have looked the other way when they were aware of other instances of law-breaking and violence by the defendants.

I want to hear Bloomberg speak out about the scourge of GANGS, not just gangs with an anti-gay bias. They terrorize people, commit cold-blooded acts, and ruin neighborhoods.

I'd like the media to stress the violence of GANGS, and not just connect the thugs' behavior with other recent instances of abuse and crimes against gays.

There's something twisted about that. It's important to acknowledge the ruthlessness of GANG life. At present, it's almost being ignored in this story.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei: Not Homophobes

UPDATE, March 16, 2012: Dharun Ravi Found Guilty in Rutgers Trial

A New Jersey jury today found former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi guilty on all counts for using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having a gay sexual encounter in 2010.

Ravi, 20, was convicted of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest, stemming from his role in activating the webcam to peek at Clementi's date with a man in the dorm room on Sept. 19, 2010. Ravi was also convicted of encouraging others to spy during a second date, on Sept. 21, 2010, and intimidating Clementi for being gay.

Ravi was found not guilty of some subparts of the 15 counts of bias intimidation, attempted invasion of privacy, and attempted bias intimidation, but needed only to be found guilty of one part of each count to be convicted.

The convictions carry a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison. Because Ravi is a citizen of India, and is in the US on a green card, he could be deported following his sentencing. The US deports most criminals convicted of felonies, with the exception of thefts of amounts under $10,000.

________________

UPDATE, April 20, 2011: Dharun Ravi indicted on 15 counts tied to spying on, suicide of Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi
A former Rutgers University freshman was indicted Wednesday for secretly viewing a same-sex encounter involving his roommate - who later jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge.

Dharun Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, N.J., could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the top charges in the 15-count indictment announced by Middlesex County prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Ravi was charged by a grand jury with bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering for using a webcam to spy on Tyler Clementi's dorm room date with another man.

Once Clementi's Sept. 22, 2010, suicide became public, Ravi asked witnesses not to implicate him and gave misleading information to investigators, Kaplan said.

According to the indictment, Ravi also knew the target of his webcam would be intimidated because of his sexual orientation.

"The grand jury indictment spells out cold and calculated acts against our son Tyler by his former college roommate," the Clementi family said in a statement.

"If these facts are true, as they appear to be, then it is important for our criminal justice system to establish clear accountability under law. We are eager to have the process moved forward for justice in this case."
________________

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei deny that they had any bias against their victim, Tyler Clementi.

I guess that means they're equal opportunity voyeurs and torturers.

From ABC News:

The two Rutgers University students accused of secretly filming Tyler Clementi in his dorm room just days before he leaped to his death, have broken their silence to insist they did not bully Clementi.

A lawyer for 18-year-old Dharun Ravi, who was roommates with Clementi, issued a statement urging the public not to "rush to charges" against his client.

"Unfortunately, a life has been lost," said attorney Steven Altman in the statement. "Out of respect to Tyler Clementi's family, this is not the time for explanations of defenses or justifications to be made public by an attorney."

"In regards to statements made by the prosecuting agencies of their continuing investigation and whether to file bias charges against Dharun Ravi, I am heartened to hear that they are taking their time to learn all the facts before rushing to judgment. I can only hope that the public will do the same," wrote Altman. "I am confident that nothing will be learned to justify, warrant or support the filing of any bias criminal complaint."

...Wei's attorney released a statement insisting on his client's innocence.

"This is a tragic situation. But this tragedy has also unfairly led to rampant speculation and misinformation, which threaten to overwhelm the actual facts of the matter," said attorney William Fisher. "Those true facts will reveal that Molly Wei is innocent. Molly committed no crime. Her remarkable reputation is being unjustly tarnished by uninformed and incorrect assumptions."

Fisher added that Wei is a "wonderful, caring and talented young woman with a bright future" who has been "maligned by unfounded attacks on her character."

So did Ravi lie to Wei?

Did she not know what Ravi was doing to Tyler Clementi?

That would have to be the case for her to be innocent, as her lawyer claims.

Did Wei view the stream?

...A town hall meeting is scheduled tonight at Rutgers to discuss bullying and is expected to be attended by several state politicans.

That's nice - a town hall meeting.

I'm not optimistic that such an event, where state politicians can posture, will have any impact whatsoever on bullying.

Thugs will continue to torture. Bullying is part of their personalities. Thug parents have raised thug children.

Bullying is a practice passed down from generation to generation.

Furthermore, I think it's important to remember that what Ravi and Wei are accused of doing went beyond bullying and became criminal.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei

UPDATE, March 16, 2012: Dharun Ravi Found Guilty in Rutgers Trial

A New Jersey jury today found former Rutgers student Dharun Ravi guilty on all counts for using a webcam to spy on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having a gay sexual encounter in 2010.

Ravi, 20, was convicted of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, witness tampering and hindering arrest, stemming from his role in activating the webcam to peek at Clementi's date with a man in the dorm room on Sept. 19, 2010. Ravi was also convicted of encouraging others to spy during a second date, on Sept. 21, 2010, and intimidating Clementi for being gay.

Ravi was found not guilty of some subparts of the 15 counts of bias intimidation, attempted invasion of privacy, and attempted bias intimidation, but needed only to be found guilty of one part of each count to be convicted.

The convictions carry a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison. Because Ravi is a citizen of India, and is in the US on a green card, he could be deported following his sentencing. The US deports most criminals convicted of felonies, with the exception of thefts of amounts under $10,000.

________________

UPDATE, April 20, 2011: Dharun Ravi indicted on 15 counts tied to spying on, suicide of Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi
________________

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei are scum (allegedly).

Ravi is the roommate from hell (allegedly). Wei was Ravi's high school classmate and a fellow Rutgers freshman.

They are horrible people, miserable excuses for human beings (allegedly).

From
WPIX:
NYPD harbor units have recovered the body of an individual believed to be Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped to his death after two other students secretly filmed him during a sexual encounter with another man, PIX 11 News has learned.

Sources say there was no wallet and no identification on the body.

Clementi was spotted on the walkway of the George Washington Bridge on the night of Sept 22. Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old freshman had posted a chilling goodbye message on his Facebook page.

"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry," Clementi wrote on Facebook before jumping to his death. Sources tell PIX 11 News, Clementi's car was later discovered along the New Jersey border with both his cell phone and computer inside.

Fellow freshmen students Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton have since been charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly placing a camera in Clementi's room.

Ravi and Wei were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for using a camera to view and transmit a live image of the teen during the sexual encounter on Sept. 19.

Ravi, who was Clementi's roommate, was additionally charged with two more counts of invasion of privacy for trying to use the hidden camera to view the same student during another sexual encounter just three days later on Sept. 21.

Days before the shocking suicide, Ravi updated his Twitter account, admitting to friends that he enabled his webcam to spy on Clementi who had asked his roommate for some privacy.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," he tweeted on Sept. 19. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

...Ravi was released on $25,000 bail Tuesday after surrendering to Rutgers police, while Wei was released on her own recognizance Monday after surrendering to authorities.

According to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan, it is a fourth-degree crime to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual content of an individual without that person's consent. The crime becomes a third-degree offense if the images are transmitted or distributed.

WPIX video


How could Ravi and Wei be so cruel?

Why would they do something that they knew would deeply hurt Tyler Clementi?

Did they think it was fun? Is bullying their hobby?

Clementi asked his roommate for privacy. Instead, Ravi allegedly violated his trust in a stunningly callous way. Ravi and Wei's lack of compassion is chilling.

According to Forbes, Ravi discovered that Clementi was gay from comments he made on a gay message forum, "JustUsBoys," and Clementi was aware of Ravi's video voyeurism.

A month-old tweet from Ravi indicates he discovered his roommate’s sexuality based on comments Clementi made on a gay message forum. Ravi tweeted on August 22, “Found out my roommate is gay,” and linked to a post he said was Clementi’s on JustUsBoys. It’s the same forum that Clementi appears to have turned to after discovering he’d been spied on. As Gawker noted, a user on the forum by the name of “cit2mo” posted a thread “college roommate spying…..” on September 21 at 7:22 a.m.
so the other night i had a guy over. I had talked to my roommate that afternoon and he had said it would be fine w/him. I checked his twitter today. he tweeted that I was using the room (which is obnoxious enough), AND that he went into somebody else’s room and remotely turned on his webcam and saw me making out with a guy. given the angle of the webcam I can be confident that that was all he could have seen.

so my question is what next?

I could just be more careful next time…make sure to turn the cam away…
buttt…
I’m kinda pissed at him (rightfully so I think, no?)
and idk…if I could…it would be nice to get him in trouble
but idk if I have enough to get him in trouble, i mean…he never saw anything pornographic…he never recorded anything…
I feel like the only thing the school might do is find me another roommate, probably with me moving out…and i’d probably just end up with somebody worse than him….I mean aside from being an asshole from time to time, he’s a pretty decent roommate…

the other thing is I that don’t wanna report him and then end up with nothing happening except him getting pissed at me….

Other users advised him to report it to the school and make sure his roommate’s computer was closed during future encounters. Cit2mo replied:
I feel like it was “look at what a fag my roommate is” –other people have commented on his profile with things like “how did you manage to go back in there?” “are you ok?”

and the fact that the people he was with saw my making out with a guy as the scandal whereas i mean come on…he was SPYING ON ME….do they see nothing wrong with this?

unsettling to say the least….

so I decided to fill out the room change request form….its not guaranteed that you get a change…and i don’t have to switch if I change my mind or work things out over the next week (they won’t start filling requests until next week)…but I figure I might as well as see what they can offer me….

More users advised him of the illegality of this video voyeurism. A famous case of this, of course, is that of Erin Andrews. The man who made peephole videos of her undressing was ultimately sentenced to 30 months in prison. Cit2mo responds:
oh yah, on the school website it says recording people where there is an expectation of privacy (bathroom bedroom etc) without the consent of everyone involved could….COULD…..result in being expelled

the only things is…there are too many ‘could’s ….the fact that he didn’t ACTUALLY record me (to my knowledge) and the fact that the school really prolly won’t do much of anything….

but anyway, i’ll be talking to my RA later today for sure…..

and yah, revenge never ends well for me, as much as I would love to pour pink paint all over his stuff…..that would just let him win…..

Cit2mo did end up going to the RA after Ravi’s tweet on September 21st:

so I wanted to have the guy over again.

I texted roomie around 7 asking for the room later tonight and he said it was fine.

when I got back to the room I instantly noticed he had turned the webcam toward my bed. And he had posted online again….saying….”anyone want a free show just video chat me tonight”…or something similar to that….

soooo after that…..

I ran to the nearest RA and set this thing in motion…..
we’ll see what happens……

I haven’t even seen my roommate since sunday when i was asking for the room the first time…and him doing it again just set me off….so talking to him just didn’t seem like an option….

meanwhile I turned off and unplugged his computer, went crazy looking for other hidden cams….and then had a great time.

Cit2mo’s last posting to the site on the morning of September 22nd indicates that he emailed an RA a paragraph about what had happened. Though he seemed calm and collected in his postings to JustUsBoys, that night, he posted “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry” to his Facebook, and committed suicide.

Clementi's postings indicate his struggles with Ravi and his feelings of powerlessness.

Ravi and Wei are conscienceless cyberthugs and hopefully they will pay for their criminal behavior. No slap on the wrist for these thugs if they are found guilty. They must suffer the consequences for breaking the law. Without question, they should be expelled from Rutgers.

Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick issued a statement on Clementi's death.

I deeply regret that today we learned from the family of one of our students that they believe their son has committed suicide. We are profoundly saddened by this report, and our hearts and prayers are with the parents, family, and friends of this young man, who had started at Rutgers this semester as a first-year student on the New Brunswick Campus.

While there is a lot of information being communicated, we don’t have all the facts in this case.

This young man was reportedly the victim of an incident that took place in one of our residence halls last week. Two fellow Rutgers students have been arrested and charged with invasion of privacy for their actions in that incident. If the charges are true, these actions gravely violate the university’s standards of decency and humanity.

The case is being investigated by the Rutgers University Police Department. The students—like all who are accused of a crime—must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is also being investigated by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs under the code of student conduct. Please know that while Rutgers does not comment publicly on the specifics of cases involving active criminal investigations and allegations of student conduct, the university is taking this case very seriously.

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family during this most difficult time. While I did not have the privilege of knowing this young man, I have learned that in addition to his academic abilities, he was a gifted musician. Our university community feels the pain of his loss, and I know there is anger and outrage about these events.

Rutgers is a community that is extraordinarily proud of its diversity and the respect its members have for one another. In fact, we have just launched a two-year dialogue focusing attention on civility in the context of one of the most culturally and racially diverse research universities in the nation. I ask that all members of the Rutgers community honor the wishes of the family by providing them with privacy during this painful time and by committing to the values of civility, dignity, compassion, and respect for each other.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Of course, Ravi and Wei have to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The cybertrail will be easy enough to trace. (See postings from "JustUsBoys.") I trust it won't take long to determine if they actually did what they are accused of doing.

The WPIX report states that sources say Clementi had asked to have his room changed, but Rutgers denied that request.

If true, that refusal to move Clementi was obviously a terrible mistake.

When it comes to taking one's own life, ultimate responsibility lies with the individual. Clementi made the choice. He chose to die, but arriving at that decision certainly speaks to Clementi's unbearable anguish, being only 18 and not wanting to live. His suffering probably went beyond the clash with his roommate. The tragic unknown in all of this is whether Clementi would have made the choice to live had Ravi and Wei not treated him like the star in a freak show.

It's heartbreaking that Clementi determined his best option was to jump from the George Washington Bridge.

Rutgers can't be blamed for Clementi's death but it may be responsible for failing to address 18-year-old Clementi's serious problems with Ravi and buddy Wei.

Ravi and Wei didn't kill Clementi, but they're accused of illegal activity that had to be torture for him. His suicide may have been precipitated by their bullying.

Bullying in the Internet age takes on a whole new dimension. Thugs can use the Internet to compound the agony for the victim.

Ravi and Wei didn't push Clementi off the bridge, but they have blood on their hands.

________________

Here's video of Danielle Birnbohm</>. She lived in the dorm room next to Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi on Busch Campus at Rutgers.
_________________

UPDATE, September 30, 2010: Statement of President Richard L. McCormick, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

This is the second statement from McCormick. In his first statement, September 29, 2010, he didn't mention Clementi by name.

His September 30, 2010, statement is a more personal expression of sympathy.

The Rutgers University community is in mourning over the death of first-year student Tyler Clementi.

We grieve for him and for his family, friends, and classmates as they deal with the tragic loss of a gifted young man who was a strong student and a highly accomplished musician. I have spoken with Tyler’s parents to extend my own and the university’s deepest sympathies, and we will continue to respect the family’s request for privacy.

It is up to us at Rutgers to honor this young man’s life by reaffirming, and living up to, our commitment to the values of civility, dignity, compassion, and respect for one another.

I don't want to be cynical about McCormick's motives but this second statement seems to be an attempt to deal with the Rutgers PR nightmare of Clementi's suicide.

I think McCormick has said enough.

_________________

UPDATE, from WPIX: Officials: Body Found In Hudson is of Rutgers Voyeurism Victim
A body recovered from the Hudson River has been confirmed to be Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped to his death after two other students secretly filmed him during a sexual encounter with another man, officials announced Thursday.

The New York City medical examiner's office determined that Clementi drowned and had impact injuries on his torso after jumping off the George Washington Bridge last Wednesday.

Sources say there was no wallet and no identification on the body.

Clementi was spotted on the walkway of the bridge on the night of Sept 22. Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old freshman had posted a chilling goodbye message on his Facebook page.

"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry," Clementi wrote on Facebook before jumping to his death.

_________________

UDPATE: NJ student's suicide illustrates Internet dangers

This AP article discusses suicides and cyberbullying. It also includes some new information about Tyler Clementi, Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei.

In Clementi's case, prosecutors said that his roommate, Dharun Ravi of Plainsboro, N.J., and Molly Wei of Princeton, N.J., both 18-year-old freshmen, transmitted a live image of Clementi having sex on Sept. 19 and that Ravi tried to webcast a second encounter on Sept. 21, the day before Clementi's suicide. Lawyers for Ravi and Wei did not return calls.

Luanne Peterpaul, vice chairwoman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality and a former New Jersey prosecutor, said authorities might be able to pursue the case as a hate crime under state law if they are able to establish that the defendants acted because they believed Clementi was gay.

Ravi posted a message on his now-closed Twitter account on Sept. 19: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan said in a statement: "We will be making every effort to assess whether bias played a role in the incident, and, if so, we will bring appropriate charges."

A lawyer for Clementi's family did not respond to requests for comment on whether Clementi had come out to friends and family about his sexual orientation. He also said the family had no comment.

The mourning continued at Rutgers and in Ridgewood, the suburban New Jersey town where Clementi grew up and attended high school.

"As the father of a 17-year-old, I can't imagine what those parents are feeling today," Gov. Chris Christie said. "Those people who led him to that bridge are going to have to bear that responsibility for the rest of their lives."

Ed Schmiedecke, the recently retired music director at Ridgewood High, called Clementi "a terrific musician and a very promising, hardworking young man."

"Musically, Tyler was destined for greatness," childhood friend Mary Alcaro, who played in a summer music academy with him, said in an e-mail. "I've never heard anyone make a violin sing the way he did."

Students at West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional High School, from which Ravi and Wei graduated, remembered them as nice people who were not in any way homophobic.

Ravi had gay friends, said Derek Yan, 16, a junior. Yan said he chatted online with Ravi about what college life was like, and Ravi "said he was lucky to have a good roommate. He said his roomate was cool."

Apparently, Ravi and Wei have changed dramatically since they left West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional High School.

If they were nice, as students at the high school remember them, then they've changed dramatically. They've revealed they aren't nice anymore. They're heartless, soulless.

This wasn't some innocent little prank gone bad. They allegedly behaved illegally. They conducted a cold, calculated plan to torment Clementi. Nice people don't do that.

As far as being homophobic goes, they've been outed.

Obviously, if Ravi liked his roommate and thought he was cool, he had a sick, sick way of showing it.

In the end, it doesn't matter what a person says. It's irrelevant that Ravi supposedly had gay friends in high school. The "but some of my best friends are gay" defense is pathetic. It's irrelevant that Ravi said kind things about Clementi to someone online.

Words can be empty, meaningless. It's so simple to say something. What matters is how those words are backed up by actions.

What Ravi and Wei allegedly DID says everything one needs to know about them.

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UDPATE, October 1, 2010: Bias crime charges weighed after NJ teen's suicide
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UDPATE, October 1, 2010: Emotions run high at Rutgers after teen's suicide
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UDPATE, October 2, 2010: Rutgers honors late student at homecoming game
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UDPATE, October 3, 2010: Hating Ravi and Wei Solves Nothing
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UDPATE, October 6, 2010: Rutgers Students Investigated After Death of Classmate Break Their Silence

Ravi and Wei deny they had anti-gay bias.

Wei's lawyer declares she's innocent.

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UDPATE, December 22, 2010: Parents of NJ student who killed himself to sue
The parents of a Rutgers University student who killed himself after his roommate allegedly used a webcam to spy on him during a tryst with another man have filed notice that they intend to sue the school.

Joseph and Jane Clementi, parents of Tyler Clementi, filed the notice on Friday. They have to wait six months to file the lawsuit over their son's death, which became a symbol in a national outcry over the bullying of young gays.

In the notice, the couple said "it appears Rutgers University failed to act, failed to put in place and/or failed to implement, and enforce policies and practices that would have prevented or deterred such acts, and that Rutgers failed to act timely and appropriately"

The claim, first reported by The Home News Tribune of East Brunswick, did not list how much in damages the Ridgewood family would seek.

Rutgers spokesman E.J. Miranda said in a statement that the school is not to blame.

"We at the university share the family's sense of loss of their son, who was a member of our community. We also recognize that a grieving family may question whether someone or some institution could somehow have responsibility for their son's death," Miranda said. "While the university understands this reaction, the university is not responsible for Tyler Clementi's suicide."
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UPDATE, April 20, 2011: Dharun Ravi indicted on 15 counts tied to spying on, suicide of Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi
A former Rutgers University freshman was indicted Wednesday for secretly viewing a same-sex encounter involving his roommate - who later jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge.

Dharun Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, N.J., could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the top charges in the 15-count indictment announced by Middlesex County prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Ravi was charged by a grand jury with bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering for using a webcam to spy on Tyler Clementi's dorm room date with another man.

Once Clementi's Sept. 22, 2010, suicide became public, Ravi asked witnesses not to implicate him and gave misleading information to investigators, Kaplan said.

According to the indictment, Ravi also knew the target of his webcam would be intimidated because of his sexual orientation.

"The grand jury indictment spells out cold and calculated acts against our son Tyler by his former college roommate," the Clementi family said in a statement.

"If these facts are true, as they appear to be, then it is important for our criminal justice system to establish clear accountability under law. We are eager to have the process moved forward for justice in this case."