Brutal Assault of Gay High School Student by Bully Caught on Camera

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 11:24am

SUSPENDED FOR THREE DAYS! This kid gets away with a hate crime and gets 3 days off. This kid's name needs to be exposed, he needs to be arrested,he should be kicked out of school,something more than just this. Makes me sick!

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/10/ohiobully.html

[Q]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 11:38am

Obviously, the school itself doesn't care that much, but the victim needs to press charges NOW. That's not bullying, that's criminal assault. This needs to end up in court.

And I'll add this, with not a little amount of shame - watching that made me want to get my hands on that ignorant piece of trash and beat him senseless until he's just this side of death's door. And no, I don't give a damn that he's only in high school - that would only mean he'd have less awareness to draw on to defend himself, and again, I wouldn't give a damn.

I am reaching a point of simply not knowing where else to put this rage I feel.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 12:03pm

As much as I detest seeing these stories, I have to say I'm thrilled that these stories are getting so much exposure. Beating up a gay student was something we simply had to live with and endure. Now, people are starting to recognize it for the bigoted terrorism it really is.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 12:14pm

Lets see how much exposure this story gets. I sometimes think there are SO MANY stories like this, the media has to very selective on the ones they report on. This kid should not be allowed back in the school.What would have happened if he did this to a female student? What would have happened if it was an African American student and he spewed out racial slurs? If any of those happened I assure you this all would have been handled differently.Because the kid was just a 'fag' they'll suspend the bully for 3 days. Meanwhile, his friends are cheering him on.

What about the bully's parents? Should they be interviewed/investigated? I'd like to hear what kind of home life this bully/coward has. As long as schools allow this it will continue. The next bully will think about it and say,'I'll take a 3-4 day suspension.Its worth it if I get to kick some homo's ass!'

Educators and faculty need to start doing more. This keeps occurring because the kids are not really punished for their hate crimes.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 12:39pm

It already made local television news and the story is already starting to spread across several blogs.

Educators and faculty need to start doing more. This keeps occurring because the kids are not really punished for their hate crimes.

I agree, which is why I'm thrilled there has been ANY exposure at all. When a media outlet reports the story, it's starting to show a message of intolerance for this behavior. Otherwise, it NEVER would have been aired. The more stories that get surfaced and receive attention, the more the media will acknowledge the events and raise awareness. Long before Matthew Shepard, there was Paul Broussard. Not many have heard of him, but his death was briefly considered newsworthy. Before Paul, there was a personal friend of mine murdered outside a Dallas bar in a gay-bashing incident. It was briefly recorded in the newspaper as a "shooting". No other word on the subject. For a high school bully beating up a gay boy to make it on the news is HUGE. And it's a sign that we're moving in the right direction and at a more rapid pace. I do hope that people become more vocal about this particular case, but even moreso, I'm ELATED that this issue has truly started getting the attention of the country.

[Q]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:11pm

I agree with you, Matt - and thanks for the perspective reminder, which I obviously needed!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:33pm

I hope this boy is sent to jail for assault. That Mother is doing the right thing by pursuing legal action. I'm sure the bully's parents will be on tv this week saying how their son is really a good boy and was simply defending himself from the other boys sexual advances.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 1:42pm

I just hope the boy is old enough to be sent to jail for assault. But if the bully's parents are anything like their son, I'm sure we'll hear anything and everything that isn't the truth.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 2:36pm

I just sent the link to the people over at The view
here's hoping Joy or Whoopi bring it up.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:06pm

This little bastard deserves to have his face, name, address, email account exposed to the general public. Then he'll really learn the true meaning of bullying.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:12pm

I don't care if he is a minor, I want the kids name and identity revealed. I wish the school superintendent would kick him out of the school. Not temporary but for good. I bet if the student was kicked out permanently,his name revealed,charges brought on him as an adult, have the kid arrested,mug shot taken,lawsuit against the kid and his family, parents investigated by the police and state,and court costs and fines,other kids might just might think twice before doing something like this. An example needs to be made. What would have happened if this kid suffered brain damage? What would have happened if he died? Would the bully still get only 3 days suspension? I'd like to start a Campaign where we can email the school and add pressure to the principal and faculty.

Some might think this is extreme but kids like this victim are taking their own lives because of scum bags like this coward.

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 03:12 PM

[Tom1071]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:21pm

"I just sent the link to the people over at The view
here's hoping Joy or Whoopi bring it up."

Unfortunately, they have already taped tomorrow's show. Friday is alway pre-recorded. By next week it will be out of the news cycle. Hopefully they will mention it but I wouldn't count on it.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 3:32pm

OK folks, keep the emails civil and to the point. I plan on asking if 3 days suspension is the ONLY steps the school is taking?

Email Superintendent: Dwight Garrett at [e-mail]

http://www.unioto.k12.oh.us/administration.htm

I just emailed this information to Joe.My.God and Towleroad. Will try and send it to a few more blogs but I encourage people to pass this contact info along to your friends.The more emails and complaints the better.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Union-Scioto-Local-School-District/280096705050?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/#!/uniotoschools

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 03:32 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 6:09pm

Am I wrong to think that we get more and more of these kind of news lately? I can just imagine how much violence and hate crimes went around in the past and no one was aware.

What truly terrifies me are the repercussions for this kind of behavior. I somehow feel the perpetrators are getting the message across that violence against gay individuals deserves a little slap on the wrist and not much more.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 6:21pm

And NOM,Maggie Gallagher,Tony Perkins, Bryan Fischer,etc.will all call the bully the real victim here. Practicing hate is freedom of speech to them.It's in the Constitution they'll say.The Religious right and other hate groups will spin this to their advantage as they always do.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 6:22pm

I feel quite the opposite. Before this sort of story would not have even hit the news at all. The fact that it does now is proof that the public is not okay with it (in most cases, there isn't even a slap on the wrist). This is the beginning of the story, so there may be more to the punishment yet to come. Regardless, does anyone think we would have even heard about this story if there wasn't a sense of hostility and anger towards the bully's actions already in place?

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 06:22 PM

[romantico]

Posted: 10/27/11 at 6:43pm

The real question is will the media CONTINUE to report on it? If the Bully speaks out and gives a lame excuse,yes,the media will play that up. If the ACLU gets involved,if the School reacts over pressure from other students and GLBT Groups,then yes, I think the story will be talked about. The problem is SO MANY stories like this are making the news,we have to make sure this does not get buried. Yesterday a Teacher posted on his Facebook something about 13-15 more gay students have to die before anything will happen. Last week a Principal in Tennessee attacked a gay student over a shirt. The there was the New Jersey teacher who posted on her Facebook some anti gay comments. The media can not report on all of the stories and this has just been in the past week.

Email the school. Make them release a statement on the issue. Contact other blogs and keep the story alive.I agree, so far I am pleased that the media has grabbed the story and is reporting it. Without the video it would have been just another story about a kid in school getting bullied. However, the bully in the video spews anti gay slurs,he posted anti gay comments on his Facebook page just a day before,he has a history of bullying and harassing this kid in the past.All of that should work against this kid and I am almost certain the bully is going to play the victim card. They always do.Anyone remember this video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJMw7Y7ua9I

The bully claimed it was the big kid he was picking on who was the real bully,despite the video and evidence. I hope Ellen and Piers Morgan and the ladies on the View and The Talk all talk about this story.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 4:07pm

***Update***

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/10/chillicothe.html

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 4:10pm

Oh so he attacked him because he has a mental illness. That makes perfect sense.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 4:17pm

I heard he had several twinkies before he attacked. I could be wrong,but it sounds like the story may be turning up the heat for the school and community.I hope it does.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/29/11 at 4:14am

I just signed into Yahoo, and the mothers story was the lead video that popped up.

The story is getting out there.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/29/11 at 12:18pm

"Presumably, some of the 'new evidence' to which Osborne refers is the recording of the beating. Yet the principal also told the Gazette that the student who made the recording has herself been disciplined. Whether that's because she was in league with the bully, or because her surveilling has caused Unioto High so much embarassment, Mr. Osborne declined to say.

Regardless, the young documentarian's mother has temporarily removed her from school. The bully is still serving his suspension, and may face worse. According to the Gazette:

Ross County Prosecutor Matt Schmidt said he has asked the sheriff's office to investigate further and get medical records for the victim if they exist. The extent of the injury and the medical records are needed for Schmidt to help determine if the assault meets the criteria to be considered a felony. His office is waiting on charging the juvenile until the additional investigation is completed."


SO, tell me if I am wrong here but is the School now taking a more strict view on this student ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS CAUGHT ON TAPE AND HAS EMBARRASSED THE SCHOOL? That's how I read it.Had this not been recorded,it would have been one student's version of what happened vs. another. No actual proof. I think GLAD or or the ACLU needs to discipline the school for taking action ONLY because of the video and embarrassment of the school/faculty.

Glad the story is getting out there but how many stories like this happen each day that are not recorded? If there was no video of this attack this story would not have made it in the news.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 10/29/11 at 6:51pm

That's what it seems like, Romantico. Not to speak for all schools, but the one's I've worked for seem to have an "if you can't prove it, it didn't happen" policy in place for bullying. Even then, with enough spin from the aggressor, a temporary suspension or detention could be all that comes from it. I've seen students knocked out in fights because of their sexual orientation, reported the incidents to the principal's office for disciplinary action, and been informed at a later date that ambulance records and testimony from a paid school employee isn't enough to punish a bully. I now tell students being bullied to draw as much attention as possible to any attacks--physical or verbal--to force teachers and staff (plural) to witness the attack.

Thankfully, this case has visual evidence that contradicts the spin from the bully. The school's "but gay students have no special treatment" spin is absurd. A kid has a concussion and a broken tooth. We should all count ourselves lucky that the victim here didn't get an equal suspension for "fighting." That's a common tactic, too. Upgrade the victim to an accomplice by saying "both students suspended x days for fighting."

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 10/30/11 at 11:00am

Why is social tolerance, non-violent communication and anti-bullying not being taught in our public schools? Shouldn't there be a mandatory class, just like math, English and history? I think with the way the world is today, there needs to be a course taught in every school to learn how everyone can get along despite fear of differences within other people.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 10/30/11 at 11:36am

^^NJ schools send home a pamphlet now. Teachers and any hired staff in contact with students have to undergo two hours of mandatory training on the new bullying laws.