Remember that University of Michigan student and Tau Kappa Epsilon brother who was filmed unleashing a string of antigay slurs against an Uber driver? Well, he wants everyone to know that, despite damning evidence to the contrary, he’s the real victim in the situation. And he’s prepared to sue to prove it.
“You wanna kick me off?” Croman can been heard shouting at 50-year-old Artur Zawada in a video that emerged online last week. “Kick me off, you little piece of shit! You’re an Uber driver! Go fucking drive, you little faggot! Minimum wage faggot! Go fuck yourself!”
Related: Frat Bro Hurling Antigay Slurs At Uber Driver Goes Viral. Zero Stars.
After the video went viral, Croman, who has since been nicknamed “The Uber Turd,” released an unapologetic statement through a “family representative” explaining his side of the story:
How about we take this to the next level?
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This video shows one side of an argument I had with an Uber driver two weeks ago after he refused to pick me up on the basis of my religion. What you don’t see in the video is that the driver had made a number of offensive anti-semitic remarks that provoked my response. I am not proud of my reaction to his discrimination and I regret my choice of words. Shortly after the verbal altercation, I filed a complaint with the Ann Arbor police department and they are now dealing with the issue.
Ah, yes. The old “He started it!” defense. With a few accusations of anti-Semitism thrown in for good measure.
There’s just one hiccup in Croman’s story.
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In the report he filed with the Ann Arbor Police Department, one day before the video appeared online, catapulting him into internet infamy, Croman made no mention of any anti-semitic remarks. Instead, the report accuses Zawada of “disorderly conduct.”
Still on a quest for blood, Croman then contacted Uber about Zawada, successfully getting the driver suspended from the ride sharing company. He is now purportedly preparing to file a lawsuit against him for discrimination.
Oh, but it gets even slimier.
It has now been revealed that Croman is the son of one of New York City’s most notorious slumlords, Steven Croman, who is currently under investigation for allegedly using illegal tactics to evict residents from rent-controlled apartments, going so far as to hire a former cop to intimidate tenants into leaving.
In 2014, Steven Croman was named one of the city’s “10 worst landlords” by the Village Voice, and there’s even an online advocacy group called Croman Tenants’ Alliance specifically dedicated to warning potential tenants of his actions.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Jake Croman is an Associate at his dad’s company.
Apparently douchebaggery runs in the family.
Related: Gay Grandmother, Harassed By Homophobic Landlord, Finds Gay Slurs Painted On Home
As for Zawada, he denies accusations of anti-semitism and maintains Croman’s verbal attack was completely unprovoked, which the video seems to corroborate.
“I said no word to the guy,” he said in an interview. “Nothing, nothing, nothing. I didn’t say anything to the guy and he went cuckoo.”
“I’m stressed out,” he continued. “It’s getting to me.”
Watch the video of Croman going off on Zawada below.
Stephen Meeks
Wow. Reading the article, I was actually beginning to give him the benefit of the doubt. After viewing the video however….. What a jerk.
Tattyfatty
Maybe its just me, but the fault I find with his story is he said the guy wouldn’t even pick him up, but you can clearly hear he is saying “You wanna kick me off?” How does that work?
Grant Mealey
A$$ hole
Stache
@Tattyfatty: He said that he’s had problems with the guy before. A known troublemaker. Totally makes sense though. Uber drivers aren’t going to have time to verify everyone before picking them up.
Bryan Allan Baker
Punk
SteveDenver
“The son of a notorious slumlord” I would have guessed he was Donald Trump’s son.
Stache
The fact that he never mentioned it to the police means he sure as hell is lying his ass off now. A chip off the ol block making his slumlord daddy proud. Another loudmouthed lying Duchebag.
paul dorian lord fredine
entitled little prick.
Stache
It’s sad that the only one being punished is the driver who probably is in desperate need of that job.
joeyty
@SteveDenver: Uhhh…no, Trump is Protestant.
joeyty
@Stache: You’re probably right. Hopefully a sane and fair judge will decide this case.
Mr-DJ
Apology for choice of words? No, I don’t think so. He’s only sorry that he was taped and it went viral. And even then, you know he’s eating up the notoriety!! Apologies are only for having made a mistake, that you will try hard not to repeat. You can tell this douche spoke the way he always does, and looks down others, and has no plans to ever change any of that.
robho3
This guy is a pig
Glücklich
Oh yuck. Croman and that Shkreli person ought to hook up to trade rim jobs.
And the slumlord dad better get it together, too. Shouldn’t his cretin kid have gone to NYU or Columbia?
joeyty
@Glücklich: You need good grades too, though, for NYU or Columbia.
Juanjo
Sorry but I do not for a second believe this kid’s claim. No mention of the claim in the police report and nothing in his tirade about it. This kid would definitely have been harping on the anti-Semitic comment if there had been one.
Transiteer
All bullys claim “victim” status when they can’t get away with their bullying. Especially useless rich ones.
James Rumsey
Hope the driver countersues for lost earnings because of false accusations. If he was assaulted on an anti-semitic basis he would have mentioned it in his police complaint (which was probably only filed because the driver filed a complaint against him)
Mkiel
Maybe there is more reporting but why does USA produce so many a**holes.
Kieran
Our schools are doing a great job churning out homophobic assholes. I guess Jake Croman understands gay epithets are still okay, unlike using racial epithets.
joeyty
@Mkiel: “Maybe there is more reporting but why does USA produce so many a**holes” Compared to where ? Russia ?
Brian
Let’s not be too hard on Croman. Men who utter gay slurs sometimes turn out to be great in bed. I know – I’ve seen it in action.
Luis H. Lopez
Yuk! another Anti Gay Rant by a douche !
Alex Rothwell
Horrible person here.
joeyty
@Alex Rothwell: you should talk
Antony Nguyen
What a tool
Dave Downunder
Another privileged jerk off who feels entitled and hides behind daddies money. If he has a history of being a jerk I hope it comes to light in the defence of the uber driver.
NoCagada
He’s somebody for MISS Brian to date
GC1985
@Kieran: Homophobic assholes… Like Donald Trump.
Kevin J Desmond
His mother should have swallowed the load instead.
stranded
@Tattyfatty: I read on yahoo, the driver blocked him, but this douche had a friend of his make the ride order. So basically he purposely had this guy drive over just to insult him and waste his time. I’m not going to judge this guy by his dad’s actions, but clearly he’s an elitist who finds it humorous that people work all day instead of having a cushy “associates” job from their father. He’s a dick all on his own, no help from dad needed. I hope this poor uber driver isn’t going to get steamrolled by this guy’s money. I mean if he already got suspended from being a driver, he’s fucking with his income. I hope the lawsuit gets tossed out and and Croman (or should i say his father) has to pay for the lost income Zawada lost due to being suspended.
Stache
@stranded: Actually, he didn’t block him according to this link. He had a couple run ins with Croman and tried to avoid him as best he could.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2016/03/he_went_cuckoo_uber_driver_des.html
Glücklich
@NoCagada:
Wrong. We all know Briana’s the type to have a problem with “those people.”
GC1985
How sad someone is trying to make a living and people like Croman and Donald Trump are running around making everybody miserable. Croman could practically be Donald Trump’s nephew. I wonder if they are related.
Here is what the Uber Driver could do. It’s called a permanent injunction. The video could be admitted into evidence. I’m not just talking about some temporary restraining order, but a permanent injunction keeping him 500 feet away. And if he violates the permanent injunction right to jail he goes.
Herman75
He is a victim. The Universe has made him what he is….awful.