student kills self after webcam spying UPDATE: Conviction Overturned

[LinasK]

This brings back to my mind the Matthew Shepard case. Another young man was so tortured he could not endure the pain. It's heartbreaking and it's criminal. It's a hate crime.

Except that Matthew Sheppard wasn't suicide, it was murder...

 

[grayjay]

Except that Matthew Sheppard wasn't suicide, it was murder...

Right. And then Matthew Shepard wasn't a freshman at an ivy league school.
Hate is the common theme.

 

[Bipolar Express]

Ugh...this story makes me sick. I say charge them with murder, Im so mad.

 

[jokie7348]

I am totally sickened by this incident and this young man's suicide as a result of it. Having worked with high school/college students for 34 years, I can tell how the people in the world have changed. At the beginning of my career, there was generally a care and concern for others, and when a mistake was made, the parents corrected it immediately. At the end of my career, I saw many (not all but the majority) students concerned only with themselves and who thought nothing of embarrassing, hurting, hazing other students. "Just a joke" seemed to be an adequate explanation. Parents did nothing...."It was harmless. Kids will be kids." or no reaction at all.
I, for one, am happy that my time as an educator is over. The victories got smaller and smaller as the years went by. I realize fully that not all children fit the narcissistic model, but a great number of them do. Just a little insight into the student world as I see it...and of course, JMOO.
My prayers are for this student's family and true friends. May they find comfort and peace and strength to see them through.
May the perpetrators of this hateful, gay bashing crime be punished to the fullest extent. We have to start somewhere to show students that, if they cannot or will not treat others fairly, the law will step in and make them do so.
God, this is such a tragedy. I am just sick. And angry.

 

[Recovering-Lurker]

R.I.P. Tyler.

Body Identified as N.J. College Student Who Killed Himself After Sex Video Posted Online

The body found in New York's Hudson River has been identified by police as 18-year-old Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after fellow students allegedly filmed him without his knowledge in a sexual encounter with another man in his college dorm room.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/29/nj-student-secretly-taped-having-sex-kills/

 

[Danaya]

These young people who did this could be any young person who made a bad judgement call on facebook, they didn't intend for this man to jump off of a bridge. That was his choice, however tragic it may be. I'm sorry that he chose to end his own life but I hope people take time to look at themselves instead of getting so angry at two university students who thought they were playing an joke-however imature it was. They have their whole lives ahead of him and God will forgive them if they repent of their sin... which we all have.

 

[Paintr]

Good Bye, Tyler. May you play sweet music forever.

 

[ohiogirl]

Danaya

The whole point of what everyone is saying is that it is too easy these days with all of the "texting" and internet posting and everything for people to make really bad decisions and go too far. Of course they didn't want him to commit suicide, but they shoud have thought twice before posting someone's (especially someone other than themselves) personal life out there for all to see.
People need to understand it is serious business, not just, "Oops, sorry."

 

[Paintr]

These young people who did this could be any young person who made a bad judgement call on facebook, they didn't intend for this man to jump off of a bridge. That was his choice, however tragic it may be. I'm sorry that he chose to end his own life but I hope people take time to look at themselves instead of getting so angry at two university students who thought they were playing an joke-however imature it was. They have their whole lives ahead of him and God will forgive them if they repent of their sin... which we all have.

These two may have thought they were playing a joke. However I have serious issues with anyone who thinks such a cruel, humiliating, uncaring action is funny. They were seeking a cheap laugh at the expense of another's pain and suffering. IMHO there is nothing even remotely funny about that.

 

[Joe Friday]

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649057/20100930/story.jhtml

Tyler Clementi Suicide Puts Bullying In Spotlight

Rutgers student's death reveals the ugly consequences of using wired means to taunt.

Police are still searching for the body of 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, one week after he is believed to have killed himself after his roommate posted online a video of Clementi having a sexual encounter with another man.

Authorities believe that Clementi leapt from the George Washington Bridge in New York after his roommate secretly taped him and then posted the footage on the Internet.

Clementi's roommate Dharan Ravi and Ravi's childhood friend Molly Wei are each facing two counts of invasion of privacy and could spend up to five years in prison if they are convicted of distributing sexual images without consent. Ravi allegedly posted a live feed of Clementi on Skype, according to CBS News, and boasted about it on Twitter.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," Ravi, 18, tweeted on September 19. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay." Ravi is also alleged to have tried to broadcast a second encounter a few days later.

(Snipped)

His death comes as a rash of bullying-related suicides has made the news. Minnesota Public Radio reports that seven teenagers in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, one of Minnesota's largest school districts, have taken their lives over the past year. Administrators are concerned that bullying, cyber or otherwise, may have played a part in the incidents, at least two of which involved gay students who'd allegedly been harassed or bullied at school as a result of their sexuality.

In Tehachapi, California, 13-year-old Seth Walsh died on Tuesday, several days after trying to hang himself from a tree in his backyard following years of taunting over his sexual orientation. Less than a week earlier, 13-year-old Texas teen Asher Brown shot himself to death after enduring bullying over his small stature, his religion and, possibly, his sexual orientation, according to the Houston Chronicle.

(Snipped)

 

[fran]

This story is heartbreaking.

There's no winners here.

One young man is dead and another young man and young woman will have their lives altered.

What happened to the Golden Rule?

I KNOW for a fact not ONE of my five children would EVER do something so cruel as this.

My condolence to the family and friends.

Sincerely,
fran
:rose:

 

[Missizzy]

Thank you for the photo. What a lovely and gifted young man. I can't imagine the pain his family feels nor the pain suffered by his boyfriend. To be with someone and share joy and then to learn that hours later they are dead. That young man will be scarred forever. My prayers are with him too.

 

[Danaya]

Danaya

The whole point of what everyone is saying is that it is too easy these days with all of the "texting" and internet posting and everything for people to make really bad decisions and go too far. Of course they didn't want him to commit suicide, but they shoud have thought twice before posting someone's (especially someone other than themselves) personal life out there for all to see.
People need to understand it is serious business, not just, "Oops, sorry."

I guess so but I think some are getting too angry at these young people who made a mistake and bad judgement.That's my own personal opinion. I guess it will be up to the courts to decide what to do.

 

[Recovering-Lurker]

Tyler reminds me so much of my little brother who came out just about 2 years ago and only to some family members. People can be so cruel. This story is so heartbreaking.

 

[Joe Friday]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/suicide-ru...yler-clementi-stuns-veteran/story?id=11763784


Body in Hudson River Identified as Rutgers 'Spy Suicide' Tyler Clementi
Clementi Apparently Reached Out to Gay Website for Help in Days Before Death


A body that was pulled from the Hudson River has been identified as Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, who leaped to his death after his roommate allegedly secretly filmed him during a "sexual encounter" and posted it live on the Internet, ABC News has learned.

(Snipped)

 

[Joe Friday]

In Honor of Tyler Clementi Face Book page.

 

[Joe Friday]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716

Victim of Secret Dorm Sex Tape Posts Facebook Goodbye, Jumps to His Death
Rutgers University Freshman Jumped From the George Washington Bridge

A Rutgers University freshman posted a goodbye message on his Facebook page before jumping to his death after his roommate secretly filmed him during a "sexual encounter" in his dorm room and posted it live on the Internet.

Items belonging to 18-year-old Rutgers student Tyler Clementi were found by the George Washington Bridge last week, according to authorities. Clementi's freshman ID card and driver's license were in the wallet.

Clementi's post on his Facebook page, dated Sept. 22 at 8:42 p.m. read, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."

(Snipped)

 

[Hez]

If this was just a joke and bad judgement, then why did they invade his privacy, not once, but twice?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39438381/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Snipped from article:

Two days later, Ravi apparently posted another entry referring to iChat, an internet messaging service with a live video feed.
"Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again," Ravi wrote in the Sept. 21 post.

 

[Paintr]

Danaya

The whole point of what posters are saying is that it is too easy these days with all of the "texting" and internet posting and everything for people to make really bad decisions and go too far. Of course they didn't want him to commit suicide, but they shoud have thought twice before posting someone's (especially someone other than themselves) personal life out there for all to see.
People need to understand it is serious business, not just, "Oops, sorry."

ITA! Of course they didn't want to kill Tyler. But they did deliberately set out to humiliate, embarrass, and ridicule him and invited others to do the same. That is not a mistake, that is a deliberate act of cruelty. 'Oops, sorry' just isn't enough.

And just what were they hoping to achieve...a nasty laugh at someone else's expense. Even if Tyler had not died, they would have succeeded in making his campus life a misery. Hopefully, now that this has been brought to light, others will not have to suffer such 'jokes'.

 

[Missizzy]

Am I the only one who thinks that Ravi seemed to be overly interested in the concept of gay sex? I've read, over the years, that gay men who are in the closet, can often be extremely discriminatory to those who are out or are in the process of coming out. Just a thought.

And while reading about this case I came upon the following interview yesterday. It's Anderson Cooper interviewing Andrew Shirvell, an assistant Attorney General for Michigan, about his blog which clearly harasses and torments an openly gay Student Body President of the University of Michigan. Shirvell works for the state as an attorney, for heaven's sake, and he's stalking and harassing a young 21 year old? He calls it a "campaign" but he's clearly a man off his rocker IMO. Watch the video:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upsho...jA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNtaWNoc3RhdGVvZmY-

State attorney launches bizarre Internet war on openly gay college student


So, it's not just stupid, immature, and intolerant college students. It's stupid, immature, and intolerant assistant AGs!! I was appalled by this man.