An attack laced with homophobic slurs outside Carver High School that sent two gay Atlanta teens to the hospital, one with a screwdriver gash across his face, will not be pursued as a hate crime or face any bias investigation, police say.
Now being referred to as “a fight amongst kids” viewed by at least 100 bystanders, the Monday attack was initially reported by police as two friends being jumped by a mob of 20 teens “because they were gay.” Now four students, including the two victims, will be charged with misdemeanors.
Details are sparse as to how it has de-escalated from a homophobic mob attack to an average schoolyard quarrel, and one victim — 15-year-old Timothy Jefferson — is publicly calling foul.
Jefferson says he and the other victim, 17-year-old Zy’derryo Brown, came out two years ago and have faced relentless homophobia from other students since.
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“They don’t like us cause we’re gay. We fight all the time cause we’re gay at Carver,” Jefferson told WXIA-TV.
Jefferson and his mother also say they warn the high school every time they hear of a planned attack, including the one that occurred Monday. The Atlanta school system declined to comment, referring questions to Atlanta Police.
“[Timothy] may tell a different story, but for our investigation, it’s not going to be classified as a bias (or hate) crime,” police spokeswoman Elizabeth Espy told the NY Daily News, citing surveillance footage.
Brown will be charged with disorderly conduct while the three other teens will face charges of affray.
hyhybt
Charging the victims is a new low. Or, at least, a low not often reached these days.
(By the way, why, when I log in here, do I get a message saying “WordPress 4.2 is available! Please notify the site administrator”?)
jwtraveler
Maybe HRC and other white elitist organizations can take a break from trying to protect their fortunes and get involved to help some young, black kids who are being victimized by their classmates, school and the Atlanta criminal justice system, that is if they care at all about anyone but themselves.
“Gay rights is not all about gay marriage”, believe it or not.
UltimateSin
@jwtraveler: That would be called a Christmas miracle.
tdh1980
@jwtraveler: In all fairness to to HRC and those organizations, they only take up the causes deemed most worthy by the elitist gay white mainstream, so…[sips tea like Kermit]…
LandStander
The police spokeswoman said it will not be classified as a hate crime “citing surveillance footage.” Have we seen the footage? What is on that footage that made them declassify it? Was the victim in this case actually the aggressor or something…?
Cam
@hyhybt: said… “Charging the victims is a new low. Or, at least, a low not often reached these days.”
________________________
Unfortunately, it’s not a NEW low. It’s a very old strategy, if they charge the victim, they then tell the victim “If you stop claiming this was a hate crime, we will drop the charges against you”.
Giancarlo85
@jwtraveler: I feel the same way. HRC has done little to nothing to help the average gay kid. They are more about cozying up to corporations. The police and District Attorney have totally fucked up this case. And I hope some fantastic defense attorneys come to help these victims of a hate crime. Any good defense attorney could blast apart the prosecutor’s case.
tdh1980
@Cam: Hell, charging innocent witnesses and bystanders has proven to be a regular occurrence when their accounts fall on the opposite side of favor of those in authority. Just ask the man who filmed Eric Garner’s murder. It increasingly has become clear that the only thing law enforcement exists to preserve is the status quo, and that unfortunately leaves most marginalized people out of luck.
Clark35
Why are the people who were attacked being charged?
Also why is this not considered a hate crime in ATL GA? I agree with you Giancarlo the HRC is pointless for everyday LGBT people who aren’t ultra wealthy, or associated with celebrities, or corporations.
Giancarlo85
Apparently two people who got jumped by a mob of 20 are not victims and somehow caused this whole thing to start. I wonder if the prosecutor will say the crowd of 20 had “gay panic” and prosecute the victims instead!
And yeah, Clark… I stopped supporting the HRC several years ago because I realized that fact.
Curty
Georgia doesn’t have hate crimes against glbt people. Sad fact. In fact many states don’t.
heavylifter
@Giancarlo85: @tdh1980: Stop blaming “Evil Whitey” for everything. Where are all the black GLBT organisations? They should be all over it by now.
You jump at any chance to bitch about white gays not doing anything for you but make no effort to build your own movement.
tdh1980
@heavylifter: Cease and desist with the histrionics, and please don’t assign me any attribution things I didn’t say, particularly in quotations. My first comment has to do with socioeconomic power structures, which, in this country, are inextricable from matters of race. Those with the wherewithal to command an audience get to choose subject of discussion and shape the discourse in any way they see fit base on THEIR own perspective and personal experience. Unfortunately for many of us those people seldom wear brown skin. The point is that as a community it’s up to all of us to stand up for the rights and advocate for the plights of all instead of grabbing hold to a single piece of narrative (marriage equality in this case) that in all honestly only really benefits a fraction of our alphabet. Certain factions of the LGBT population shouldn’t have to “wait their turn” because the gay elite have tacitly decided that their causes aren’t the most important right now.
jwtraveler
@Curty: Hate crimes laws add additional charges to a crime. They are not usually crimes in themselves. You don’t need a hate crimes law in order to prosecute attackers or to refuse to prosecute victims.
jwtraveler
@heavylifter: @tdh1980: I’m a white gay man who is every bit as disgusted with HRC as tdh1980. The us vs. them attitude is a way of dividing people to allow some people privileges while denying them to others. tdh1980 makes some very good points. HRC is the largest, wealthiest “gay rights” organization in the country. It gets financial support from white, gay professionals and other wealthy people, including celebrities (mostly white) who think they are doing a good thing for gay people, but the reality is that they benefit only a small segment of the gay population. And their exclusive focus on gay marriage has had the additional detrimental effect of misleading many sympathetic people that there are no other gay rights issues, such as the little-known fact that in 29 states LGBT people still have no housing, employment, or educational rights. It’s not just that HRC doesn’t help the majority of gay people; it actually hurts them.
Dakotahgeo
Can you REALLY TRUST ANYONE in the GA LE profession?? Mehhhhhh… methinks not! South, y’know!
Giancarlo85
@heavylifter: Oh please. An organization cannot survive with financial means. There are some out there though (NBJC), and there is one for Latinos too (Bienester and some others)… but many of these organizations don’t even come close to having the same amount of financial resources.
And what do you mean we don’t make any effort? I have contributed my own time. And yes, stop with the histrionics…
You are dishonest.
heavylifter
@Giancarlo85: Histrionics? LOL, you mean like the Social Justice Warriors hijacking the UK Students Union and banning white gays from supposedly acting like black women because “racism”, “white male privilege”, “misogyny” “white supremacists” and other crazy Progressive “oppression” nonsense.
So lets get this clear, white guys contribute all the money and resources but you think you are entitled to tell them how to use it.
You obviously like the idea of spending other peoples money.
heavylifter
@jwtraveler: ” HRC is the largest, wealthiest “gay rights” organization in the country. It gets financial support from white, gay professionals and other wealthy people, including celebrities (mostly white) who think they are doing a good thing for gay people, but the reality is that they benefit only a small segment of the gay population. And their exclusive ”
You are drinking the Cultural Marxist coolade.
You admit it is all their money and resources but think you are entitled to appropriate it because “classism” or something.
blackberry finn
@tdh1980: You think everyone at HRC is white? Please with the race card.
heavylifter
@blackberry finn: Waiting for tdh to call them Oreos…
Giancarlo85
@heavylifter: Oh I see what we have here. A Republican. The moment he said I like spending others people money… Well, that is a big right wing lie.
White gay men are white gay men. Just that simple.
And I didn’t tell anyone how to spend their money. Stop relying on stupid red herrings.
@heavylifter: Marxist koolaid? You need to stop repeating what you heard on Fox News.
People are prevented from having real opportunity in this country. I do believe in increased social spending. Helping kids and getting them a safe place in school will help their own future.
You are a selfish self centered right wing hysterical clown.
heavylifter
@Giancarlo85
No I am not a Republican, but you are a Cultural Marxist. Your posts are BS like the lie you lot are spreading about the hood rat Michael Brown having his hands in the air #HANDSUPDONTSHOOT. What a joke, those “witnesses” got called out big time, but idiots like you believed the BS because it suited your narrative.
Giancarlo85
@heavylifter: Lol. How am I a cultural Marxist? Now you go on about a different topic. I see right through your bullshit. Learn how to come up with a real argument. You believe fox news trash because it fits your bigoted mindset.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
This is horribly sad. Get out of Georgia fast.
DarkZephyr
@heavylifter: The LGBT Rights movement is for everyone who is LGBT regardless of color. HRC stands for “Human Rights Campaign” and not “White Human Rights Campaign”. I think its perfectly reasonable for gay men of color to point it out when the HRC seems silent in the face of attacks on gay men of color. Gay men of color are gay men, period. What’s more, they are HUMAN, as in the “Human” in “Human Rights”. They shouldn’t have to go out and start “their own movement” because this is just as much their movement as it is yours. By saying that, you become guilty of the kind of r*cism that you seem to want to combat.
That being said, I am definitely for marriage equality and won’t be backing down from supporting it, that’s for sure.
Keith Summers
So one of the victims nearly gets his eye taken out by a screwdriver…….and HE’S being charged?!?!?
That’s, uh…….how shall I put this…..f*cked up!!!
Captain Obvious
@heavylifter: Did you really just say “build your own movement”… are you really that stupid?
Gay men and women are gay. That is the movement you freaking moron. There should not be a white gay movement and a black gay movement in 2015. Idiots like you are the problem, not the solution.
Go play in traffic.
jwtraveler
@heavylifter: Well if they are an organization dedicated to furthering the interests of wealthy, white men, they should be honest and upfront about they fact that they are trying to become the gay wing of the Republican Party. I don’t have much good to say about he Log Cabin Republicans, but at least they’re honest about who they are. And if caring about the lives and well-being of people less fortunate than myself makes me a “Cultural Marxist” (whatever that is), I’ll proudly wear that title as a badge of honor.
What is truly disturbing is that you and people like you are so proud to call yourselves selfish, privileged elitists.
jwtraveler
@Captain Obvious: I don’t often agree with you, but that comment is spot on, and LOL funny.
jwtraveler
@blackberry finn: There are a few black Republicans; that hardly makes the GOP the party of racial equality, just as the existence of gay Republicans doesn’t make the GOP the party of LGBT equality.
Giancarlo85
@Captain Obvious: I actually agree with you too. Especially the go play in traffic part lol 😀
maxxbot
All gays must stand against the criminal justice system because when it comes down to it they are oppressing people who did nothing to harm anyone else. Our criminal justice system is obsessed with handing out harsh, draconian punishments for minor crimes such as drug possesion, this is immoral and authoritarian. We are obligated to stand agonist this tyranny and for individual liberty.
Saint Law
@heavylifter: I think you would benefit from being shot in the face by a police man.
I mean it’s not like your ability to reason would suffer.
jason smeds
Wow – the reality of today’s American teens is hitting home, finally. They’re extremely homophobic despite claims that today’s youth are open-minded.
DarkZephyr
@Captain Obvious: Gotta say I am with jwtraveler on this one. Don’t often agree with you but this time I have to give you a resounding “Amen”. Your comment was, as jwtraveler stated, spot on. I agree with you 100% about this.
Realitycheck
I am white and I would love to shoot those horrible police and district attorney,
why are they charging the victims? Those poor kids I wish I could hug them.
Giancarlo85
@jason smeds: Um no. The actions of a few don’t represent the whole. Get a grip.
Maude
If i didn’t care for sex with a black man, simply because I prefer white dick and ass, would that make me a raciest?…..I was asked by a black guy in a Rikers Island classroom one day. I answered, “Damn right”, and got a loud laugh.
What’s the point? There isn’t any.
Maude
@Captain Obvious:
I suggest you tell that to the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Reverse Transcriptase
Sue everyone u can. Including the state dept for negligence.
Boy L Joey
WTF!
GayEGO
Obviously these police do not understand because of their southern, religious, brainwashing.
Kangol
@tdh1980: Preach!
Christopher Bacon
#horrible
Giancarlo85
@Maude: You are very immature. Thanks for the story though bro.
Bauhaus
@Maude:
Of course there isn’t a point, if you’re the one trying to make one, you cornhole.
J.r. LeJeune
This is horrible….
Cole Steele
If not a hate crime, why is channel 11 (in pic above) headlining “Gay Students Attacked At Carver HS”??
Paul Phillips
I don’t understand why we have a federal hate crime law if the feds won’t even investigate these kind of attacks.
jwtraveler
@Maude: I don’t get your point. There is homophobia in the black community, as everywhere, but black political leaders and civil rights organizations in this country overwhelmingly support gay rights.
olfwob
@heavylifter: Start your own movement? Really? Great idea, let`s split the gays apart, because the fight isn`t already david v goliath. Black/White/Asian or what ever gay men are stronger working tohether that`s fact.