shame

Gay Rutgers Student Jumped To His Death After 2 Students Broadcast Intimate Encounter Online

It’s not just middle and high school gays killing themselves over bullying from classmates: An 18-year-old Rutgers University student reportedly killed himself after two dormmates broadcast live on the Internet him getting intimate with another guy in his dorm room at the Piscataway, New Jersey campus. (Updates below.)

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, also 18, are each charged with two counts invasion of privacy for putting the student’s romp on iChat and letting others tune in on Sept. 19, inviting an audience by tweeting about what they were going to do. Ravi tried doing the same thing to the victim again on Sept. 21, claim prosecutors. (In NJ, collecting naked/sexual images without consent is a fourth-degree crime, punishable by up to 18 months in jail or probation; it’s a third-degree crime to distribute those images, which carries up to a five-year sentence)

The victim, whose identity is not being released who has been identified as Tyler Clementi, a freshman and talented violist, is suspected of jumping off the George Washington Bridge to his death on Sept. 22. While his car was found near the bridge, with his cell phone and laptop inside and wallet on a nearby sidewalk, no body has been recovered from the Hudson River. Update: On Wednesday night police found a body in the river and are working to identify it.

Ravi’s Twitter feed has been disabled (and his Facebook locked down), but this Google Cache version shows what he was up to:

Ravi is out on $25,000 bail. Wei — who went to high school with Ravi — was released on her own recognisance (ROR). Rutgers, which ironically this week begins “Project Civility,” a campus-wide campaign to teach tolerance and respect, is staying pretty mum, citing student confidentiality. Garden State Equality chairman Steven Goldstein says Clementi’s death constitutes a hate crime. Says his family in a statement: “Tyler was a fine young man, and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words.”

So congratulations to both of you (alleged) assholes, not just for invading this kid’s privacy, but for potentially outing him to the world — including, perhaps, his family and friends who might have a problem with his sexuality — and sending him to his death.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated