Suicide of Tyler Clementi
Encyclopedia
Tyler Clementi was an eighteen-year-old student at Rutgers University
in Piscataway, New Jersey, who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge
on September 22, 2010. His roommate Dharun Ravi had video streamed
Clementi kissing another man over the Internet
without Clementi's knowledge, and this encounter was viewed briefly by Ravi and a fellow hallmate, Molly Wei. Ravi later made a second attempt to view Clementi's sexual encounters. Ravi has been charged with invasion of privacy and bias intimidation, while Wei is not being charged, in exchange for testifying against Ravi.
, and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey
. A graduate of Ridgewood High School
, he was a talented violin
ist; he played with the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra and participated in the Bergen Youth Orchestra as concertmaster. Ravi and Wei both graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
; Ravi lived in Plainsboro, New Jersey and Wei in Princeton, New Jersey
.
According to Clementi's instant messaging chats released in court documents filed by Ravi's attorney, Clementi told his parents that he was gay before leaving home for college. While his father supported him, Clementi said that his mother had basically "rejected" him.
Clementi had complained to his resident assistant
and two other officials that Ravi, his roommate, had videostreamed him kissing another man using a webcam. He wrote in detail on the Just Us Boys message board and Yahoo!
message board about complaints he filed through university channels about his roommate. His posts indicated that he did not want to share a room with Ravi. Ravi and Wei viewed the video stream for several seconds. Ravi said he had left the computer in a state where he could view the webcam due to concerns about the security of his personal property around the "creepy" older man with Clementi.
Clementi wrote that he had asked the resident assistant for a new room after having learned about the first incident and then discovering that Ravi invited his Twitter
followers to watch a second sexual encounter. "He[the resident assistant] seemed to take it seriously," Clementi wrote in a post about 15 hours before his jump from the George Washington Bridge
. He wrote that he also reported the incident to two unnamed "higher-ups." According to court documents filed by Ravi's attorney, on September 20, 2010, Clementi wrote to a friend online that he was not really bothered by what Ravi had seen.
Clementi's wallet was found on September 22 on the walkway adjacent to the George Washington Bridge's New York-bound lanes after witnesses reported seeing someone jump. His car, cell phone, and computer were also found near the bridge. Police recovered a body on September 29 in the Hudson River
just north of the bridge. It was confirmed the next day that the body recovered was that of Clementi.
prosecutor's office stated that Ravi and Wei had been charged with invasion of privacy
and transmitting a sexual encounter on the internet in Piscataway
committed on September 19. Ravi was also charged on the same counts committed on September 21. Wei had surrendered to Rutgers police in New Brunswick
on September 27, and was released the same day on her own recognizance
. Ravi surrendered to Rutgers police on September 28 and was released on a $25,000 bail
.
Prosecutors added bias intimidation to Ravi's charges, which could double the amount of potential prison time served by Ravi to 10 years.
It is a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey
to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual contact involving another individual without that person’s consent
; it is a third-degree crime to transmit or distribute such images. The penalty for conviction of a third-degree offense can include a prison
term of up to five years. Recording a student on Rutgers campus property without their knowledge is a violation of the school's student code of conduct
, and Ravi and Wei face the possibility of expulsion
.
On October 4, the prosecutor in the case, Bruce Kaplan, stated that he did not think there would be enough evidence to charge Ravi and Wei with a hate crime
. On October 5, Wei's attorneys, Rubin Sinins and Eric Kahn, released a statement stating her innocence
. The former New Jersey federal prosecutor, Henry Klingeman, commented, "There’s no evidence of Ms. Wei doing anything. I'm very curious as to why the prosecutor is holding her responsible in any way, shape, or form simply because Mr. Ravi was using her computer."
On October 31, the legal defense teams released further statements. Steve Altman, Ravi’s attorney, said, "Nothing was transmitted beyond one computer and what was seen was only viewed for a matter of seconds." Rubin Sinins, Wei’s attorney, said, "I’m unaware of any evidence of sexual contact. The statute defining sexual contact refers to nudity and private parts, and, to my knowledge, nothing like that was seen. I’m also unaware of any evidence that any video was recorded, reproduced or disseminated in any way."
On April 20, 2011, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted Ravi on 15 counts, including bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, witness tampering
, and evidence tampering.
On May 6, 2011, a judge accepted a plea agreement that would drop the invasion of privacy charges against Wei. The agreement stipulates that Wei testify against Ravi and complete a three-year intervention program, including counseling and community service. Clementi's parents "supported leniency for Wei", believing that her "actions, although unlawful, were substantially different in their nature and their extent than the actions of Tyler's former roommate" and that she "was forthcoming and cooperative during the investigation."
In August 2011, Ravi's defense attorney submitted further documents to the court, and requested a mistrial because the prosecution had failed to present evidence to the grand jury which, he argued, would have cleared Ravi, and had presented other evidence in what he said was a misleading manner. These documents showed that Clementi had titled files on his computer "Why does it have to be so painful" and took photographs of the George Washington bridge a month before attending Rutgers.
stated, "There has been heightened media attention surrounding the suicides in New Jersey
, Texas
, California
, Indiana
, and Minnesota
." Notably, in the same month, Asher Brown, 13, Billy Lucas, 15, Raymond Chase, 19, and Seth Walsh, 13, committed suicide, in each case after being taunted about their homosexuality
, though Chase's brother does not believe the suicide was brought on by bullying.
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in Piscataway, New Jersey, who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
on September 22, 2010. His roommate Dharun Ravi had video streamed
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
Clementi kissing another man over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
without Clementi's knowledge, and this encounter was viewed briefly by Ravi and a fellow hallmate, Molly Wei. Ravi later made a second attempt to view Clementi's sexual encounters. Ravi has been charged with invasion of privacy and bias intimidation, while Wei is not being charged, in exchange for testifying against Ravi.
Background and incident
Clementi was born on April 29, 1992 in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.The Village of Ridgewood was...
. A graduate of Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)
Ridgewood High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Ridgewood Public Schools....
, he was a talented violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist; he played with the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra and participated in the Bergen Youth Orchestra as concertmaster. Ravi and Wei both graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, also known as WW-P North, is a four-year public comprehensive high school located in Plainsboro Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey serving students in grades 9 through 12...
; Ravi lived in Plainsboro, New Jersey and Wei in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
.
According to Clementi's instant messaging chats released in court documents filed by Ravi's attorney, Clementi told his parents that he was gay before leaving home for college. While his father supported him, Clementi said that his mother had basically "rejected" him.
Clementi had complained to his resident assistant
Resident assistant
A resident assistant , commonly shortened to RA is a trained peer leader who supervises those living in a residence hall or group housing facility...
and two other officials that Ravi, his roommate, had videostreamed him kissing another man using a webcam. He wrote in detail on the Just Us Boys message board and Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
message board about complaints he filed through university channels about his roommate. His posts indicated that he did not want to share a room with Ravi. Ravi and Wei viewed the video stream for several seconds. Ravi said he had left the computer in a state where he could view the webcam due to concerns about the security of his personal property around the "creepy" older man with Clementi.
Clementi wrote that he had asked the resident assistant for a new room after having learned about the first incident and then discovering that Ravi invited his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
followers to watch a second sexual encounter. "He
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
. He wrote that he also reported the incident to two unnamed "higher-ups." According to court documents filed by Ravi's attorney, on September 20, 2010, Clementi wrote to a friend online that he was not really bothered by what Ravi had seen.
Clementi's wallet was found on September 22 on the walkway adjacent to the George Washington Bridge's New York-bound lanes after witnesses reported seeing someone jump. His car, cell phone, and computer were also found near the bridge. Police recovered a body on September 29 in the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
just north of the bridge. It was confirmed the next day that the body recovered was that of Clementi.
Prosecutions
On September 28, 2010, the Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
prosecutor's office stated that Ravi and Wei had been charged with invasion of privacy
Privacy law
Privacy law refers to the laws which deal with the regulation of personal information about individuals which can be collected by governments and other public as well as private organizations and its storage and use....
and transmitting a sexual encounter on the internet in Piscataway
Piscataway Township, New Jersey
The township consists of the following historic villages and areas: New Market, known as Quibbletown in the 18th Century, Randolphville, Fieldville and North Stelton...
committed on September 19. Ravi was also charged on the same counts committed on September 21. Wei had surrendered to Rutgers police in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
on September 27, and was released the same day on her own recognizance
Recognizance
In some common law nations, a recognizance is a conditional obligation undertaken by a person before a court. It is an obligation of record, entered into before a court or magistrate duly authorized, whereby the party bound acknowledges that he owes a personal debt to the state...
. Ravi surrendered to Rutgers police on September 28 and was released on a $25,000 bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
.
Prosecutors added bias intimidation to Ravi's charges, which could double the amount of potential prison time served by Ravi to 10 years.
It is a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual contact involving another individual without that person’s consent
Consent
Consent refers to the provision of approval or agreement, particularly and especially after thoughtful consideration.- Types of consent :*Implied consent is a controversial form of consent which is not expressly granted by a person, but rather inferred from a person's actions and the facts and...
; it is a third-degree crime to transmit or distribute such images. The penalty for conviction of a third-degree offense can include a prison
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
term of up to five years. Recording a student on Rutgers campus property without their knowledge is a violation of the school's student code of conduct
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
, and Ravi and Wei face the possibility of expulsion
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
.
On October 4, the prosecutor in the case, Bruce Kaplan, stated that he did not think there would be enough evidence to charge Ravi and Wei with a hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
. On October 5, Wei's attorneys, Rubin Sinins and Eric Kahn, released a statement stating her innocence
Presumption of innocence
The presumption of innocence, sometimes referred to by the Latin expression Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat, is the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty. Application of this principle is a legal right of the accused in a criminal trial, recognised in many...
. The former New Jersey federal prosecutor, Henry Klingeman, commented, "There’s no evidence of Ms. Wei doing anything. I'm very curious as to why the prosecutor is holding her responsible in any way, shape, or form simply because Mr. Ravi was using her computer."
On October 31, the legal defense teams released further statements. Steve Altman, Ravi’s attorney, said, "Nothing was transmitted beyond one computer and what was seen was only viewed for a matter of seconds." Rubin Sinins, Wei’s attorney, said, "I’m unaware of any evidence of sexual contact. The statute defining sexual contact refers to nudity and private parts, and, to my knowledge, nothing like that was seen. I’m also unaware of any evidence that any video was recorded, reproduced or disseminated in any way."
On April 20, 2011, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted Ravi on 15 counts, including bias intimidation, invasion of privacy, witness tampering
Witness tampering
Witness tampering is harming or otherwise threatening a witness, hoping to influence his or her testimony.-Witness tampering in the USA:In the United States, the crime of witness tampering in federal cases is defined by statute at , "Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant"...
, and evidence tampering.
On May 6, 2011, a judge accepted a plea agreement that would drop the invasion of privacy charges against Wei. The agreement stipulates that Wei testify against Ravi and complete a three-year intervention program, including counseling and community service. Clementi's parents "supported leniency for Wei", believing that her "actions, although unlawful, were substantially different in their nature and their extent than the actions of Tyler's former roommate" and that she "was forthcoming and cooperative during the investigation."
In August 2011, Ravi's defense attorney submitted further documents to the court, and requested a mistrial because the prosecution had failed to present evidence to the grand jury which, he argued, would have cleared Ravi, and had presented other evidence in what he said was a misleading manner. These documents showed that Clementi had titled files on his computer "Why does it have to be so painful" and took photographs of the George Washington bridge a month before attending Rutgers.
Reaction
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education NetworkGay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network is an organization in the United States that seeks to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in K-12 schools. GLSEN is headquartered in New York City and the District of Columbia...
stated, "There has been heightened media attention surrounding the suicides in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
." Notably, in the same month, Asher Brown, 13, Billy Lucas, 15, Raymond Chase, 19, and Seth Walsh, 13, committed suicide, in each case after being taunted about their homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, though Chase's brother does not believe the suicide was brought on by bullying.
Government
- New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Governor Chris Christie stated that the incident was an "unspeakable tragedy ... I don't know how those two folks are going to sleep at night." He subsequently called for a full investigation and added, "...as the father of a 17-year-old, I can't imagine what those parents are feeling today—I can't." - New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
representatives Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Mary Pat AngeliniMary Pat AngeliniMary Pat Angelini is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 8, 2008, where she represents the 11th legislative district....
made a joint statement saying that they planned to introduce a bipartisan "Anti-bullying Bill of Rights" in response to these events. In November, 2010, an anti-bullying bill sponsored by Huttle and others was passed on a 71–1 vote in the New Jersey Assembly and a 30–0 vote in the New Jersey Senate. - US Senator Frank LautenbergFrank LautenbergFrank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
of New Jersey stated that he intends to propose federal legislation to fund anti-harassment programs and to require schools that wish to receive federal funding to establish anti-bullying procedures and codes of conduct. - The San Diego Unified School DistrictSan Diego Unified School DistrictSan Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to provide a safe environment and equal opportunities for lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, transgenderTransgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
and questioning students. "We are lucky we have not had a situation here in San Diego, but we don't want to have to wait (..) to have a tragedy," San Diego Board of Education President Richard Barrera stated. - DelawareDelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
Governor Jack Markell referred to the suicide of Clementi as an event that moved residents and spurred legislative action. In a speech supporting legislation to make civil unions legal for same sex couples in Delaware, Markell said of the incident, "It was a moment for heartbreak – to hear the story of so much potential wasted, so much thrown away, so much anguish focused so fully on one person that suicide seemed to him the easier choice than having to live with hatred directed at him because of his sexual orientation." - Tyler Clementi's suicide, along with the suicides of several other gay teens who had been harassed, moved President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
and Secretary of Education Arne DuncanArne DuncanArne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
to express shock and sadness and speak out against any form of bullying.
Other
- Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
students planned a "Black Friday" event to commemorate and memorialize Tyler. Rutgers president Richard Levis McCormick stated "We grieve for him and for his family, friends and classmates as they deal with the tragic loss of a gifted young man..." - In the weeks following Clementi's suicide, schools around the area of his residence held vigils in memory of his death. Students at Hofstra UniversityHofstra UniversityHofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
gathered for a candlelight vigil, and students and staff at Pascack Hills High SchoolPascack Hills High SchoolPascack Hills High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school, one of two high schools that are part of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District in Bergen County, New Jersey. PHHS serves the residents of both Montvale, where the campus is located, and the neighboring community...
in Bergen County, near RidgewoodRidgewoodRidgewood is the name of several places:in Australia*Ridgewood, Western Australiain Canada*Ridgewood, Ontarioin England*Ridgewood, East Sussex village on the outskirts of Uckfield in East Sussexin the United States...
where Clementi lived, wore all black to mourn his death. - A commemoration called "Spirit DaySpirit DayIn early October 2010, Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan promulgated the observance of a new commemoration called Spirit Day, the first observance of which took place on October 20, 2010, in which people wear the color purple to show support for LGBT young people who are victims of bullying...
", first observed on October 20, 2010, was established in which people wear the colorColorColor or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
purplePurplePurple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
to show support for bullying victims amongst LGBTLGBTLGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
youth. Clementi's suicide inspired establishing Spirit Day, and the day received widespread support from GLAAD, Hollywood celebritiesCelebrityA celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and over 1.6 million FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
users. - Ellen DegeneresEllen DeGeneresEllen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
stated that "I am devastated by the death of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi. If you don't know, Tyler was a bright student at Rutgers University whose life was senselessly cut short." She went on to advocate for gay youth to find help instead of taking their own lives: "Something must be done. This month alone, there has been a shocking number of news stories about teens who have been teased and bullied and then committed suicide; like 13-year-old Seth Walsh in Tehachapi, California; Asher Brown, 13, of Cypress, Texas; and 15-year-old Billy Lucas in Greensberg, Indiana. This needs to be a wake-up call to everyone: teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country, and the death rate is climbing." - The Human Rights CampaignHuman Rights CampaignThe Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
, a gay advocacy organization, released a plan aimed at increasing awareness of gay-related suicide and harassment around the country. - Beginning in the 2011/2012 school year, a Rutgers University pilot program will be instituted that permits students to choose their dorm roommates, regardless of gender. Members of the university's LGBTQ community told the administration that gender-neutral housing would help create a more inclusive environment for students.
- On March 9, 2011, the Point FoundationPoint Foundation (LGBT)The Point Foundation is the first and largest national foundation to support academic achievement in higher education among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students by providing financial support, mentoring and hope to meritorious students who are marginalized due to sexual orientation,...
, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBT students of merit, announced that it had created the Tyler Clementi Point Scholarship to honor Tyler's memory. Clementi's parents said they hoped the scholarship would "raise awareness of young people who are subject to abuse through malicious bullying." - Rise AgainstRise AgainstRise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
released a song on their new album EndgameEndgame (Rise Against album)Endgame is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Rise Against. Produced by Bill Stevenson, it was released on March 15, 2011. Rise Against began work on the album in September 2010, after completing touring in support of its previous album, Appeal to Reason, in mid-2010...
called "Make It Stop (September's Children)", which mentions the name of Tyler Clementi, along with four other people who committed suicide due to being bullied for their sexual orientation. - Tyler Clementi's parents, Jane and Joseph Clementi, announced plans to start the Tyler Clementi Foundation in a statement released to the Star-Ledger of Newark in March 22, 2011. The foundation will focus on promoting awareness of bullying, particularly cyber-bullyingCyber-bullyingCyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
.
See also
- Cyber-bullyingCyber-bullyingCyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
- It Gets Better Project
- The Trevor ProjectThe Trevor ProjectThe Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a...
- Suicide of Megan MeierSuicide of Megan MeierMegan Taylor Meier , was an American teenager from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, who committed suicide by hanging three weeks before her fourteenth birthday. A year later, Meier's parents prompted an investigation into the matter and her suicide was attributed to cyber-bullying through the social...
- Suicide of Ryan Halligan