We told you about that poor 15-year-old gay kid in Ohio whose brutal classroom beating was captured on video and posted to Facebook. Well, felony charges were just filed against his assailant, Levi Sever.
Yeah, we suppose we shouldn’t mention Sever by name since, at 15, he’s still a minor. But A) it’s all over the media and B) he’s a complete hatemongering waste of space.
Sever, who initially just received a three-day suspension for beating his victim so badly the boy came away with a concussion and chipped tooth, will now go to juvenile court to answer for his crime. The assault, which took place at Union-Scioto High School in Chillicothe, OH, made news because it captured on cell-phone video and posted to Facebook.
The victim’s mother is calling for hate-crime charges because Sever had taunted her openly gay son for years, and posted homophobic epithets on his Facebook page in the days before the attack. “It’s my son,” she said, “and they did it just because he’s a homosexual.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Authorities are looking into possible hate-crime charges in another incident in Ohio: A freshman at Westerville South High School in Westerville, OH, was being beaten and subject to anti-gay slurs simply because his sister is a lesbian.
“No discipline has been or will be administered for either student until the investigation is complete,” said a representative for the school, which doesn’t have a specific antibullying program in place.
Equality Ohio’s Kim Welter told WBNS 10, that “just suspending students isn’t the answer to bullying. We need to be doing a whole lot more talking about how we treat each other and that we respect each other and that no bullying is tolerated.”
We appreciate Welter and Equality Ohio’s intentions, but did any of us ever take anything important away from a school assembly or a chat with a guidance counsellor?
Based on the situation at Union-Scioto High, we think the threat of legal action—and possible jailtime—is what’s really needed to keep these thugs in line.
We might not be able to change what’s in their hearts but we can damn well make sure they’re scared straight.
Brandon H
Nail the little fucker’s ass the the wall I say. If they were just a couple of years older on a college campus we would not be having this discussion. He would be in jail.
shle896
I wouldn’t mind seeing this boys parents be punished, too. At the very least, they’re guilty of raising an evil little fuck. I think they’re just as much to blame.
michael
Hate crime charges need to be brought even if the Feds are the ones to do it and its the only viable way bullying might be stopped.
Kamuriie
Good. Make an example out of the little shit. Asshole kids like that usually come from horrible homes, too–social workers should be checking out the home to make sure he and other siblings aren’t being abused.
comus
Kids like this are not born; they are taught.
The parents need to suffer.
ewe
Kids should be criminally charged just as adults so they know that it is unacceptable to attack other people. Once they know that then these incidences will decrease. Lock em up Dano.
Phil
I don’t think that retaliatory punishment is a good method for deterrence and I don’t think it’s good publicity either. Just look at the RIAA.
That said, he committed a criminal act (assault) I think that he should be persecuted for it. It is, after all, a law that you don’t assault people. I would love it if they nailed him on a hate crime charge. It is obviously a hate crime. But I don’t think it would stick. It would just detract from the assault. It would look like, “once again the gays are pushing for special rights like ‘hate crime punishments’ “. We’d get bad publicity. And this is Ohio.
tallest
It’s Ohio, hatecrime charges aren’t likely to be pushed. Shit state with a shittier stance on gay-marriage.
mike
come one guys, let’s be a little constructive here.
Yes, Sever should be convicted of the crime. Yes, CPS should spend a good bit of time investigating the parents as they are most likely – though maybe not – the reason their kid is violently homophobic.
But we’re still talking about a 15yo kid. He’s a sick little monster, and so there are two choices: 1) Juvenile Detention, which studies will most likely make the kid into an adult criminal; or 2) Mental Health Facility, where there is at least a chance he can become an empathetic adult, contributing positively to society.
shle896
@mike: I agree about the mental health facility and also think some community service would be good for him, too. Perhaps a non-profit gay organization would be appropriate.
Someone needs to teach him that gays are everyday people and that we’re everywhere and always will be and that we’re nothing to be afraid of. God knows his parents haven’t taught him. Too bad they don’t teach that in schools.
ralph
@shle896:
Just because a kid is a bigot or a bully, doesn’t meant that his parents are. Kids lear a lot of hateful things from each other.
Aiden
Good, though I still don’t think this will solve things. There needs to be some kind of change in eduaction that opens up a dialog about people who aren’t gender normative.
disco lives
Last time I checked, President Obama signed a federal hate crimes law two years ago, so it doesn’t matter what state it’s in. (and Dan Savage had the nerve to say the hate crimes law was no big deal after it passed).
Second, when I was a kid, you’d get three days suspension just for mooning someone or for carrying Tylenol in your bookbag. WTF does this school think it’s doing?
Third, if the gay kid tries to fight back and defend himself against a bully, will the school consider it a “fight” and punish both the bully and the victim?
Food for thought.
erasure25
Parents are legally responsible for their kids. The parents of this hatemonger child should have to pay 100% of the medical bills. If it bankrupts them, oh well, that’s their fault for not being responsible parents. The kids should be forced to do community service for the gay community in addition to jail time and whatever else. Hate crimes charges should be pursued to the fullest extent.
btseven
@ disco lives and erasure25…. I agree with both of you.
Queer Supremacist
All hate crimes suspects should be automatically tried as adults. There is no punishment too severe for these monsters.
If I were in charge, I would have had the little breeder lynched without a trial; we already have enough evidence to convict.