» The AP also reports that federal authorities no longer plan to attempt to deport Ravi to Pakistan, where he is currently a citizen. LGBT groups have decried the move, including Garden State Equality Chairman Steven Goldstein who called the release “practically a Monopoly game’s ‘get out of jail free’ card — a travesty of justice.”
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Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers student who recorded Tyler Clementi on a webcam prior to Clementi’s suicide, has been sentenced to 30 days in prison. Officials are saying he was charged with a bias crime, but not a hate crime, and that he acted out of gross insensitivity.
Judge Berman ordered Ravi, 20, to report to the adult correctional center in Middlesex at 9 a.m. on May 31 to serve a 30-day jail term as part of a probationary sentence, with other conditions. The three-year probationary term includes 300 hours of community service and a $10,000 assessment to be paid to a state-affiliated group that assists bias crime victims. The judge also ordered Ravi to attend, in his words, a “counseling program relative to cyber-bullying and ‘alternative lifestyles.’”
Ravi could have been in prison for up to 10 years and even faced possible deportation to India. 30 days seems like absolutely nothing in comparison. What do you think of this ruling?
Too light?
Ex-Rutgers student convicted in Tyler Clementi case apologizes for actions: “I’m very sorry about Tyler,” Dharun Ravi said about his former roommate, who committed suicide in 2010. Ravi says he “didn’t act out of hate, and I wasn’t uncomfortable with Tyler being gay,” but that he didn’t consider the effect his actions would have. source
Ravi faces charges of invasion of privacy, bias intimidation and hindering apprehension. Prosecutors say he watched his roommate, Tyler Clementi, during an intimate moment with another man and wanted to expose Clementi as gay and intimidate him.
Several other people were in the room on Rutgers’ Busch campus when an incident of alleged spying occurred, including Cassandra Cicco, who lived across the hall from Ravi and Clementi. She shared a room with Molly Wei, who was also arrested in September 2010 but was admitted into a pre-trial probationary program in return for testifying against Ravi.
Cicco was in the room when Ravi, Wei and others allegedly activated a webcam in Ravi’s room from Wei’s computer across the hall, which showed them what was going on in Ravi’s room, where Clementi had a guest over.
“it came up for a split second, it was a quick video, we saw two males leaning against the bed making out,” Cicco said.
“We were all just like, ‘Oh okay, that happened,’ and that was the end of it,” Cicco said.
Clementi’s 2010 death helped spark a nationwide anti-bullying movement (the “It Gets Better” movement), whose impact is felt to this day.
An accessory to Tyler Clementi’s bullying scores a deal: While not completely in the clear, Molly Wei avoided jail time in the webcam bullying incident that officials believe led to Clementi’s suicide. The incident, which we’ve mentioned numerous times in the past, involved Clementi’s Rutgers roommate, Dharun Rhavi, reportedly streaming from a webcam in their room while Clementi was making out with his boyfriend. Rhavi watched from Wei’s room. Not long after Clementi found out about the spying, he jumped off the George Washington Bridge, causing a huge outcry against bullying. As part of Wei’s plea deal, she’ll testify against Rhavi (who faces hate crime charges), serve 300 hours of community service, and take classes on cyberbullying and tolerance. Clementi’s family accepted the deal, saying that ”Wei’s actions, although unlawful, were substantially different in their nature.” Wei’s lawyer, whole accepting the deal, says his client denies being a bully. Either way, we hope soon for the closure of this difficult case. source
The grand jury indictment spells out cold and calculated acts against our son Tyler by his former college roommate. If these facts are true, as they appear to be, then it is important for our criminal justice system to establish clear accountability under the law.A statement from the family of Tyler Clementi • Regarding the charges against the Rutgers student’s former roommate, Dharun Ravi, whose decision to record Clementi on a webcam while with his boyfriend reportedly led to Clementi’s suicide. Ravi is being charged with 15 counts, and the case is being treated like a hate crime, which is a fascinating legal decision that could have long-term ramifications for the way cases like these are treated. By the way, Ravi’s friend Molly Wei, whose room Ravi watched the webcam video from, hasn’t been charged with Ravi, but her case remains open. source (via • follow)
Maybe the outcome would have been different if he had been able to choose his own roommate. At least now there’s an option.Rutgers University Student Assembly President Yousef Saleh • Discussing the university’s plan to offer gender-neutral housing to students in the wake of the suicide of Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after an incident in which his roommate taped him having sex with another man, then posted it online. Clementi’s tragic death may have pushed the decision over the edge, but Rutgers isn’t alone – schools all over the country have been creating options like this for students. And student body officials at Rutgers say they’ve been pushing for this option for students for a number of years. Well, here it is. Smart move, Rutgers. source (via • follow)
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People have commented on his profile with things like ‘how did you manage to go back in there? are you okay?’ and the fact that people he was with saw my making out with a guy as the scandal, whereas I mean come on… he was SPYING ON ME…do they see nothing wrong with this?A quote reportedly from Rutgers student Tyler Clementi • Posted on an online forum not long before he committed suicide. The quote was from Cit2mo, and he described a situation very much like the one that Clementi suffered. While there’s no independent confirmation, the situation matches Clementi’s almost exactly. According to a friend of Clementi’s roommate Dharun Ravi, it was merely in good fun. ”He’s very, very open-minded,” Michael Zhuang said, “and he, like if it had been a girl in the room it wouldn’t have been any different.” Tell that to Tyler. He seemed not to appreciate the gesture. source
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