Tyler Clementi Suicide Result of Hate Crime?

(CBS)  The suicide of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi is being called a hate crime by a gay rights group.

CBS News National Correspondent Jeff Glor reported on "The Early Show" Thursday from Rutgers, in New Brunswick, N.J., that a group called Garden State Equality is making the claim, and saying Clementi's case is emblematic of a widespread problem.

Tyler Clementi, Taped Having Sex, Kills Self

Nine out of 10 gay, lesbian and bisexual students are bullied in school, according to a 2007 survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. And they are four times more likely to attempt suicide, according to a 2007 Massachusetts youth risk survey.

Clementi, an accomplished violin player, just 18 years old, jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate secretly streamed on the Internet a live recording of him having sex with another man. Officials believe a body recovered from the Hudson River is Clementi's.

A Clementi family lawyer released a statement saying, "Tyler was a fine young man and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words."

Though Clementi's sexual orientation is not known, gay activists, such as David Savage, are speaking out on his behalf. Savage told CBS News, "What gay and lesbian kids most fear is rejection by their family, rejection at the hands of their friends, judgment from their preachers and their teachers."

Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei have been charged with invasion of privacy for spying on Clementi, and could serve five years in prison.

On "The Early Show," co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez said she spoke with someone from Rutgers University. Rodriguez said, "They don't believe it is a case of a student abusing social media, but an isolated incident of one student spying on another."

Is that the case?

Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, an "Early Show" contributor and child and adolescent psychologist, said it's a bigger problem than that.

She said, "It is one thing to spy and watch it yourself, and another to broadcast to thousands who might want to tune in. I think that's really important -- they are missing the boat -- that social media is a major way to get information out and he broadcast it to who knows how many tuned in and watched what was going on."

Hartstein said Clementi was probably going through a number of things after he learned he was spied on.

She said, "He's already more worried about judgments. He's already more worried about how he will fit in and where he fits in and struggling with that, we can assume, as that happens in a lot of gay teenagers. We then have to figure out -- here it is, he's struggling with that already, and then his roommate takes advantage of that and preys on the weakness that is this uncertainty and this fear. So then, now where does he go? Now he's outed, we think, we don't know, but maybe no one even knew (of) these interests, or he was bisexual or if he was gay. And now, everybody knows, and he now has to answer to all of that, and doesn't necessarily know how. And, sadly, the only option becomes suicide, because they don't think they can do kind of enough damage control or deal with it enough."

So what can be done to avoid cases like this in the future?

Hartstein said everyone, from parents to schools to the federal government, should be working to make sure anti-bullying legislation includes LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender) kids and adults.

"I think we have to start at the top and work our way down, and we really need to create no-tolerance," she said. "We don't tolerate bullying of the kid with glasses or the heavy kid, but we do tolerate bullying of gay kids. We say, 'Oh, you're such a fag.' It's not OK anymore. We need to really start to really put that into play consistently -- parents, schools, government, all-around."

[karek40]

Is it a hate crime against me for those who classify themselves as gay to try to force my acceptance of their lifestyle?

[SJames6621]

You are the one condemning them, and driving them to suicide. They aren't condemning you. they are simply asking to be accepted as part of Gods creation.

Your comments show the depth of your hatred, even though you don't realize it sir. It is that bad.

[santayoumans]

I am sad that this has happened. Everyone is talking about Cyber-Bullying, but what about the regular Bullying that happens every day. There are places bullied people can go to in High Schools, Colleges, Universities and even in the work place, but it is spreading too slow. The program is called "Common Bonds" and the people who volunteer in this program help people fit in and rid the schools and even the work places of Bullies. It still needs work, but more schools and work places need to implement this program.
My two daughters started this at their high school after reading about "Common Bonds". My youngest daughter started the program at her University and then at her work place. The high school has to turn away students now, because of people who want the protection of "Common Bonds". Now my daughter is married with children, so I get the pleasure of watching my grandchildren as my daughter volunteers at other high schools teaching "Common Bonds". The schools that have adopted this program have dropped in violence by at least 90% and the students grades are up due to not worrying about being beaten up or picked on.

[dreamcatcherDB]

I probably won't win any friends for saying this, but this was a weak willed kid. Gay or not, we all have embarrassing moments but somehow the rest of us survive. I blame the parents for raising a person who can only see self destruction as way out of a stressful situation. Sorry to say, I won't miss him.

I also don't understand the "invasion of privacy" charges against the room mate. Since when is it a crime to video tape your own personal space? Had Clementi been raping or otherwise abusing his partner the room mate would be hailed as a hero. College age stupidity turns video taping a roomate's sexual exploit into a prank, crude but not a real crime - it happens all the time. But, if that room mate just happens to be gay and follows up the prank by committing suicide, then it becomes a crime. A sad social paradigm in our country.

I am neither homosexual nor homophobic, but I certainly believe that when a group of people ask to be treated the same as we treat everyone else, we should hold them to their request. I cannot stand to see the acceptance of such a double standard just as I cannot condone the acceptance of self mutilation as an answer to ones problems.

People really need to learn to fend for themselves and stop passing blame. Sad but true.

[SJames6621]

You have an interesting and somewhat conflicted view on the issue. I think you are moving in the right direction - toward acceptance, but don't realize how deep homophobic hatred runs in our country.

You called him a weak willed kid. In effect, dreamcatcher, you blamed him for his own suicide, and I'm not sure you even realized it.

I don't know if he was "out" to his parents or any friends etc. But every day he prob had to endure the "thats so gay (means stupid)" commnets of kids who hardly realize what they are saying. And also listen to people condemn him in the name of God. and the bible. Just as they in times past did the same thing to blacks, and Jews etc.

In some ways you have a double standard yourself. I think the roomate should be prosecuted for invasion of privacy and also something like reckless endangerment leading to death.

But the real blame goes to our society, and specifically the poisoning of it by homophobic churches. The worst of whom btw are the same relgiuos culture that justified slavery.

The country is changing as you are changing IMHO. But we have a long way to go and the butchers bill is far to high already.

[criminaljustice4life]

How could this be a hate crime? By definition, hate crime is "a crime committed against a victim because of his or her membership in a specific ethnic or racial category." (The American Dictionary of Criminal Justice: Key terms and Major Court Cases Third Ed. 2005). This was just two students who did not like his roommate and was violating the victim's privacy rights. This is not a hate crime because the video wasn't posted because of his race or ethnic background - it was posted because the students did not get along as roommates. The kid had no right to post the video on facebook/twitter/or where-ever without the victim's consent. I don't know the motives behind the two who posted the video; however, as far as I can tell - this was not a hate crime.

[SJames6621]

It was not a hate crime by the kids. It should be a hate crime for the people who actively perpetrate hatred, ridicule, and religious condemnation on gay people.

Just got to understand the underpinnings of the hatred.

[Will1956]

As tragic as this event may be for the Clementi family the reality is that a homosexuality is a way of life for many, and considering the fact that Tyler posted nude pics of himself on a gay website tells us he wasn?t in the closet. Therefore a video of him only making out with a guy should not have been enough to push him to suicide. Clearly this kid had other demons and for those on the outside, life goes on.

[SJames6621]

Never heard of him posting naked pix of himself on a website. But the other kids ridiculed him at an age where social acceptance is JOb 1.

Gay people are often out to some people and not too others. The
not' due to the fear that they will become pariahs in our poisoned society.

Tylers life does not go on. What you said in your last sentence all but justified his suicide, though I'm sure you dont yet realize it.

BTW - iam going to try and find his parents. Both to give my condolences and suggest that they join up with Matthew Shepards parents, who have talked with well over amillion kids about the horrors of hatred of gay people. I've met Matthews parents 4-5 times, helped support their foundation etc.

Only wish you would do the same.

[san850]

Five gay teens have committed suicide as a result of bullying in the last TWO WEEKS. RIP Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Billy Lucas, Tyler Clementi, and Raymond Chase. We failed you. We failed you by allowing messages of hate and intolerance towards gay people to flourish in our society. Please think about this folks: You don't have to understand or approve of homosexuality. That is your right. What is not your right is to treat gay people as something less than human. Straight or gay, God made us all. And straight or gay, everyone deserves kindness and respect. We are all someone's child, grandchild, brother, sister, or friend...what if one of these gay young people had been one of yours? We all need to be more outspoken against intolerance such as this.

[SJames6621]

Bullseye. But one item - we need to work toward full acceptance, respect and love of gay people. Those who dont' approve of "homosexuality" (actually a slur word in some circles) are the problem. People poisoned by a religious culture that demonizes gay people

Just as hitler demonized the Jews.

[melle1228]

Any crime like this is hateful. Elevating one group over another is counterproductive. Go after the two to the full extent of the law, and let that be the end of it. That being said, I don't think you can blame them for Tyler's actions. Suicide is more than one instance. To jump off a bridge takes a large will to die. To have that kind of will; you have to have some serious mental problems. Was this the trigger- probably, but whose to say something else could have been down the road. People are raped etc. and they don't kill themselves. I feel for Tyler what was done to him was heinous, but it did not rise to the level of killing oneself. The Columbine killers were bullied mercilessly, but we do not justify their actions by blaming their bullies. Why? Because we know taking a human life is not the answer to being bullied. The only difference is Tyler murdered himself leaving those who loved him to pick up the peices while the Columbine killers murdered others and THEMSELVES. Those two are idiots and cyber bullies not murderers. Tyler was a victim, but not a hero.

[SJames6621]

You reminded me of the sister of one of my sons friends. She was raped on her 21st birthday. As far as I know she recovered, I do remember seeing her once some time after the rape.

And then on her 21st birthday she hung herself. She had a "flashback" and the shame and horror was to much to bear. so she "escaped"

Youa re so much like so many other people here. In effect blaming tyler for his own death. The words used by a number of the posters are almost the same.

My guess - your church is homophobic, and trying to escape the blame they deserve for tylers murder by induced suicide. Tylers mental problems were simply the ultimate fear that he would be ostracized by his peers and quite possibly be one of the 25% of gay kids who when they come out to their parents discover that "christian love " includes throwing their kids out on the street.

OUr poisoned society and relious extremists are to blame as the murderers of Tyler. The stupid kids should be punished to the full extent of the law.

the people who drive thousands of gay kids to suicide every year while talking about God and the bible should be treated just like Hitler would have been treated had he been captured alive.

Hitler didn't kill anyone except one niece during WWII. His words got others to do the dirty work of killing 55 million people.

BTW, hitler often spoke of christian values in his speaches, many preserved in a book in some of the worlds libraries. And he had all of his soldiers belt buckles inscribed with "Gott Mitt Uns" - god is with us.

And his homophobic church has been at the forefront of hurting gay peoples acceptance into our society.

But 65 years since the end of WWII has not yet EXcommunciated the worst murderer in recorded history.

[aseely]

I suspect that the roommate is a closet homosexual, himself. Why else would you want to tape a gay sex act? He was jealous that the young man was having a relationship and he wanted to hurt him.

Prosecute them for distributing pornography, using unwilling participants.

[ttank]

This is not a hate crime. This stuff happens all the time to people mostly females i.e. the (espn reporter). Just because he is gay doesn?t change anything. Charge them with invasion of privacy, and wire taping, but not a hate crime. Homosexuals want equal rights not to be singled out, and have special laws. In the U.S. constitution you have the right to confront your accuser. If your accuser commits suicide there is no case you can?t confront them.

[gizzmo001]

I think that both these "people" should be tried for Murder 1. What they did was horrible. No one could convince that this wasn't a hate crime. Why else tape it?

[ttank]

Murder 1 is knowing your actions will result in death and doing it any way. This is not murder this is not even a hate crime.

[gizzmo001]

I pretty much know (but now all) the legal definition of Murder 1. But these people knew Clamenti and knew what they were doing. They knew the mental state of the Clementi. This type of incident had high potential to cause major damage. If nothing else, what about "depraved indifference" or "voluntary manslaughter". It was well know known how shy Valenti was. To purposely film him regardless of who he was with and post it was cruel, especially as he was with another male. The persons resonsible knew what they were doing. Oh, and by the way, it's pretty hard to confront your accusor when you're dead.