Romney apologizes for hurtful high school pranks

Updated 6:35 p.m. ET

(CBS News) OMAHA, Neb. -- Mitt Romney repeatedly apologized Thursday for pranks he played in high school that may have offended or hurt other students, even though he said he does not remember them. The apologies in interviews throughout the day began in a Fox News radio interview that host Brian Kilmeade said was lined up because Romney wanted to discuss a Washington Post story about the incidents.

The Post story led with a vivid description of Romney repeatedly clipping the hair of a young man - presumed by other students to be gay - while other classmates pinned him to the floor, as the victim screamed for help and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't remember that incident," Romney told Kilmeade. "I tell you I certainly don't believe that I ... thought the fella was homosexual. That was the furthest thing from our minds back in the 1960s. So that was not the case. But as to pranks that were played back then, I don't remember them all but again, high school days - if I did stupid things I'm afraid I gotta say sorry for it."

Phillip Maxwell, an attorney in Michigan, confirmed to CBS News that the incident with John Lauber is accurately described in The Washington Post piece. Maxwell was one of the Post's four on-the-record sources. A fifth asked not to be named. Maxwell says the only thing not accurate is that the Post reporter said the incident occurred in a dorm room, but it happened in a common room.

"Mitt was a prankster, there's no doubt about it. This thing with Lauber wasn't a prank. This was, well, as a lawyer, it was an assault. It was an assault and a battery. And I'm sure that John Lauber carried it with him for the rest of his life," Maxwell told CBS News.

The Post's article details Romney's teen-age years spent at Cranbrook, a prestigious prep school in Michigan, and focuses on the many pranks played by the future presidential contender. Several were harmless but others are remembered as cruel, insensitive or frightening to the victims.

Maxwell, who is not a Republican and wasn't planning to vote for Romney, says "this isn't a politically motivated thing for me. I got asked questions by [Post reporter] Jason Horowitz and I responded honestly to him. I didn't decide to bring this thing up. But I think it probably is relevant."

"I've carried this story with me a long time. It was very disturbing. I think that view is shared by everyone involved in it," Maxwell says. "It just was a black mark on my character that I didn't stop it."

The hair-cutting incident, according to The Washington Post, was confirmed by five of Romney's classmates who described the event as "senseless, stupid, idiotic" and "vicious." Candy Porter was the victim of a well-known prank in which Romney and his Cranbrook friends posed as cops, complete with fake siren and badges, and pretended to bust some friends and their dates. Porter told the Post she was "terrified."

Romney was also remembered as having shouted "Atta girl!" when another closeted gay student tried to speak up in the classroom.

Romney said he did not recall that incident. "You know there are a lot of times, my guess is at a boys' school when one of the boys do something and people say 'hey atta girl,'... I had no idea that he was gay," Romney explained when asked about the comment. He again apologized for having offended anyone, saying no harm was intended.

When Kilmeade asked if The Post's article was meant to show that he grew up in an intolerant environment, Romney was quick to say during Thursday's interview with Brian Kilmeade that he did not, and he pointed out that the sexual orientation of the people referenced in the story was not known when they were all in high school. "I had no idea that this person might have been gay," Romney said, "and the article points out I participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks in high school and some may have gone too far and for that I apologize."

When asked about Romney's comments this morning that he didn't remember the hair-cutting incident, Maxwell told CBS News that he found it "hard to believe that he doesn't remember this."

"Certainly all of us who were involved in it have very distinct memories of it. I would think if you were the perpetrator your memories would be even sharper," Maxwell added.

However, John French, a retired Michigan businessman who graduated with Romney from Cranbrook, came to Romney's defense, telling CBS News political correspondent Jan Crawford that he was "flabbergasted" by the accusations against Romney.

"I can't ever remember a time that Mitt was malicious in anything he did. The idea of him being a bully... I almost laugh at it," said French, who says he has known Romney since the age of eight. "Mitt was a very, very, very funny guy. But malicious, no never."

The Romney campaign, in full damage-control mode by day's end, circulated statements from two former classmates at Cranbrook, including French, who depicted him as a caring person. "He would never go out and do anything mean spirited. Clownish, yes. Never mean,"said Richard Moon. French said it was "absurd" to try to characterize Romney as a bully. "Mitt never had a malicious bone in his body," he said.

Romney told Kimeade that his propensity for pranks and causing a bit of trouble changed when he met his future wife, Ann, while he was still in high school.

"There's no question you know I became a very different person as I meet Ann," he said. "So I went off and served as a missionary for my church. I mean there are elements in life that change you. I'm a very different person than I was in high school, of course. I'm glad that I learned as much as I did during those high school years."

Additional reporting by CBS News political correspondent Jan Crawford.

[kdryan2]

He holds a kid down and tortures him then calls it a 'prank.' Just his explanation alone speaks volumes about his character.

[a-col]

This was an extensive Washington Post (WaPo) 2+ page expose starting on page one above the fold but they note that "This is one of a series of articles exploring the lives of the presidential candidates" so I look forward to reading the WaPo interviews of Obama's high school classmates. Although Obama admits to being involved with illegal drugs in his 1995 "Dreams from My Father" memoirs where he states in college: "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it" and then says "getting high on marijuana, alcohol and sometimes cocaine as a high school student in Hawaii," I don't recall the WaPo ever investigating those illegal transgressions.

Know the WaPo will be "fair and balanced" this election cycle so I'm sure we will see an equally hard hitting examination of Obama's youthful illegal activities - at least 2+ pages long starting on page one above the fold! Was the President just a junkie or was he dealing? I'm sure we'll find out the answer once the WaPo puts Jason Horowitz on the trail.

If you want to know how I really feel about things, check out my blog at: http://old-soldier-colonel.blogspot.com/

[MichaelSurf]

LOL what needs to be investigated... Obama talked about these things in his own book lol And if you are comparing what Obama did which was nothing malicious, to Romney bullying a kid..you have your priorities messed up.

[smartasss1]

Romney shows leadership and creativity. Lead a posse = leadership. cut hair = creativity.

[smartasss1]

Romney is not a bad guy. He will probably be less conservative for the general elections. My only problem with him is he's very dishonest and would say anything to win. He even tried to get credit for the GM revival.

[wildwilly323]

I believe Mr. Romney when he say'he is a different person now than what he was in his teens. When we were growing up these acts were considered hazing,and of course it was wrong, but havent most of us been guilty of something like this while growing up? He is a good man now and it seems as if he is regretful of the mistakes of his youth. I think all of Mr. Romney's experiences throughout his life.I further think he is going to make a strong president that sticks by his beliefs and wont back down to confrontation when the situation requires it. Not like Mr. Obama who seems to change his stance on almost every political issue, and it seems he goes what ever way is the populace seems to favor. He usually makes a 360 turn so he can come out smelling like a rose. Remember when he told the news media that he was against same sex marraiges?

[smartasss1]

He pretends he does not remember it. I don't think he's honest.

[Effie_]

"When we were growing up these acts were considered hazing,and of course it was wrong, but havent most of us been guilty of something like this while growing up?" No, we haven't. Are you suggesting that's normal behavior in U.S? If that so, many of you have a serious lack of empathy (which could explain all the people who vote republican...).

[rgooch1969]

This is one fact about Romney that plays perfect to the right wing Republicans. How it will play to the rest of the Republicans will be,"everyone has done something wrong when they were a kid and I'm sure Obama has to. No big deal for most Republicans or most Democrats.

[skeptically]

If it were no big deal, you wouldn't be on here trying to minimize and rationalize the most contemptible sort of bully. He didn't even take on this poor kid by himself. He planned, instigated and orchestrated a vicious demeaning attack--and now he'd like us to swallow that he "forgot" it.

[pdchapin]

Assaulting somebody isn't a "prank" and well outside of normal high school bad behavior. I've never meet a high school student who didn't know that what Mitt did was wrong - even those mean enough to do likewise.

The real problem, however, is his denial. He doesn't remember?! Who is he trying to kid. If I attacked somebody I'd remember it. And if he doesn't remember it then he apparently doesn't trust his own character enough to say it must be false because I would never do anything like. Could it be that this kind of behavior was so common that he can't remember individual instances. Or, more likely, is he simply lying. Honesty has never been a Mitt Romney strong point. Or perhaps his mind is beginning to go. None of these possibilities are reassuring behavior for a presidential candidate.

If I were a Republican, I'd be thinking that it may be time to reopen the nomination process. Among Republicans he would have been my (reluctant) choice but after this I couldn't vote for him at the convention even I was legally obligated

[skeptically]

Oh don't sugar-coat it! The man is a liar and a bully. End of story. He felt no remorse until it caught up to him--and he doesn't seem to feel much now that it has. It's the same damn-everyone-else corporate raider mentality that lets someone destroy profitable companies and ship hundreds of American jobs overseas, then go home to play the Brylcreemed clean-cut "Ward Cleever" in one of his three or four mansions.

Don't buy it. If this man gets in office, Wall Street will finish stealing whatever's left of this country that they haven't stolen already. He's just chomping at the bit to eliminate the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection.

[TimeToEvolve]

This is not hate but the sad honest truth:

Does anyone need to be reminded that Robmee is an unstable, sick Republicon-brained half wit? Or that he is just another plastic puppet that Wall Street wants to appoint to do their bidding?

And this story about how Robmee began to manifest his hatred for people who were different that him was buried on Page 18 of my newspaper. The Republicon candidate for pResident, the chosen one and this on on Page 18? Does anyone doubt what side the Wall Street media is on? They are also planting stories about fake polls that shown this slimewad Mitler close in the race so they can sell more advertising and papers. What a scam.

[whitethunder922]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html

Read it and weep. Keep in mind that Likely Voter (LV) polls are more relevant than Registered Voter (RV) polls, and undecideds tend to go against the incumbent.

Also, you might want to tone down your rhetoric a bit. It's closing your mind even more. If you ever meet Mr. Romney, I'm sure you'll have a much different impression of him, and I'm sure you wouldn't say any of those things to his face.

[kiwiobserver]

Oh my goodness, you people are not only welfare state bludgers, but you are gullible and stupid to boot. It's no wonder your country is going down the gurglar. Do the majority of you who post your stupid comments realize that there's a life out there beyond the washington post and the general liberal no-brainer media people's opinions that you seem to take so readily as gospel? Didn't they teach you guys anything at school about critical thinking? I'm sure President Obama would shrink if he read your comments here.

You call Romney a bigot when you are the worst bigots and hypocrites I've ever come across. You do nothing but spout hate. Anyone would think you were all perfect at aged 13-15 which was Romney's age when this supposed bullying was purported to have taken place.

I wonder, those of you who are white, how many of you shared your lunch and slept over at black family's homes in your neighborhood when you were in high school? I bet very few of you, because you were racist.

I wonder which of you were the couple (black man & asian woman) whose beautiful child aged about 3 years edged her way towards my own beautiful 8-year-old daughter when we visited Disneyland, California, not too long ago, and, no doubt presuming we were non-English-speaking Mexican or Hispanic, the Asian mother, with absolutely no knowledge that we were British tourists, pulled her daughter back from getting close to my daughter, and said: "Don't go near her, she has odour!" I guess I knew then, that your country have people who are racist and intolerant. And guess what, I knew she wasn't a Mormon!

Oh, and there's a happy ending to our experience. I was recognized shortly thereafter by one of your education administrators from New York and a conversation ensued as we discussed a literacy program from my country that was being used in the school where the New York family came from. I know the racist lady would have preferred to be anywhere else than right behind us as we slowly edged our way to the ride for another 20 or so minutes.

Bullying or being at the receiving end of racism - not sure which is worse. All I know is, they are both bad. We really need to try to get on, accept our differences and live together in a more civilized manner.

[smartasss1]

what a long arrogant and stup1d comment. You would still probably vote for Romney even if he was a rapist.

[RangerDan107]

Does it matter? Heck yeah. Being a bully is a character flaw, they have big issues. Do I want a president with character flaws and big issues? No thanks.