Dharun Ravi yesterday was sentenced to 30 days in prison for the actions that preceded Tyler Clementi’s suicide. Many are upset because they say the sentence was too short. But others, even LGBT activists, believe there shouldn’t have been one at all. 

This article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at the opinions of people who say Ravi shouldn’t have been the center of the case because it takes away from the more important point of the story: the varying, often preventable factors that lead a person to depression and/or suicide. The article was published before the sentence was announced, so it’s slightly confusing to read, but the message is still there:

As repugnant as his behavior was, they say, it was not the blatantly bigoted or threatening actions that typically define hate crimes. Some fear that a sentence that over-reaches might provide tinder to anti-gay sentiment — a New Jersey talk-radio host complained soon after the verdict of the “gay lobby” railroading Mr. Ravi.

While Clementi’s suicide in September 2010 galvanized public attention on the struggles of gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers, the question of how to punish Mr. Ravi has revealed the deep discomfort that many gay people feel about using the case as a crucible.

“You’re making an example of Ravi in order to send a message to other people who might be bullying, to schools and parents and to prosecutors who have not considered this a crime before,” said Marc Poirier, a law professor at Seton Hall University who is gay and has written about hate-crimes legislation. “That’s a function of criminal law, to condemn as general deterrence. But I think this is a fairly shaky set of facts on which to do it.”

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?

Almost two years ago, openly gay Rutgers student Tyler Clementi committed suicide, and the world cried bullying. Dharun Ravi, the student who broadcast Clementi’s sexual encounter with a man online, has been charged on counts of bias intimidation, or targeting Clementi for his sexual orientation. But is the guilty verdict enough to send a message to other schools?

Shane Windmeyer, a contributor to the Advocate and executive director of the organization Campus Pride, says no. In this editorial, he explains his belief that not enough schools are working to protect their LGBT students, and that LGBT kids will continue to be targeted unless more schools step up. Some numbers he cites to back that up:

Less than 7% of schools offer institutional support to LGBT students, such as an LGBT student center or programs director. Only 13% offer nondiscrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and just 6% protect students on the basis of gender identity.

Obviously Ravi’s guilty verdict is not enough to change every school environment for the better. But since Clementi’s suicide, a lot of schools actually have taken measures to make things safer. Certainly not enough schools are taking action, but a number of them are - through things like GSAs, anti-discrimination policies and stronger measures against bullying.

I don’t know if I completely agree with Mr. Windmeyer. Of course the outcome of one case can’t make everything better, but I do believe we have seen some progress in the last two years. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we can work to make sure nobody ever has to suffer like he did again, and I think we’re absolutely taking steps in that direction.

What do you think? Do you agree with what this article says?

Jurors have reached a verdict in the case of Dharun Ravi, the college student who filmed and broadcast his roommate Tyler Clementi in a sexual encounter with a man days before Clementi committed suicide.

Ravi is guilty of invasion of privacy, witness and evidence tampering and hindering apprehension. He was also found guilty on some counts of bias intimidation, meaning his actions were partially motivated by Clementi’s sexual orientation.

Ravi turned down a plea deal offered by Middlesex County prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for undergoing counseling, doing 600 hours of community service and disposing of any information that could identify the man who appeared in the web video with Clementi.

Prosecutors also offered to help Ravi avoid deportation, though they said they could not guarantee it. Ravi, who had been studying on a visa at the New Jersey university, did not testify on his own behalf.

The CNN article above includes many details of the case. Ravi’s lawyers essentially said he was an innocent college student whose stupid prank went too far. He sent Clementi a text message apologizing, but it’s unclear whether Clementi got the text before jumping off a bridge to his death. Prosecutors said Ravi’s actions were acts of homophobia and intended to alienate and ridicule Clementi.

NOTE: An earlier version of this post included the unclear statement that Ravi wasn’t found guilty on several counts of bias intimidation; he was, in fact, found guilty on some of these counts but not all of them. It was changed at 8pm CST.

Thoughts?

It’s been more than a year since Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide. Now, a jury will decide whether Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate, is at fault after broadcasting a recording of Clementi’s sexual encounter with a man just days before his death.

This story has been covered time and time again with every breaking new detail, but it’s still relevant. Clementi’s suicide was the peak of a horrible couple of months for bullied LGBT teenagers and his story was certainly part of what inspired such widespread community support for ending bullying.

But now, a jury could decide that either Ravi played a direct role in Clementi’s suicide by exposing his sexual orientation and activity for the world to see, or that Ravi’s actions were not ill-intended and he cannot be blamed for Clementi’s death. Either way, the outcome of this case is extremely important.

Why you should read this New York Times piece about the trial: It makes very clear what all sides are saying. There’s been a lot to follow in this case, but this article lays down the law about who believes what. Read it for clarity, multiple perspectives, and to remember just how crucial this is to the anti-bullying movement.

You have heard of Tyler Clementi’s tragic story, but you haven’t read it like this before.

This extremely in-depth feature story from the New Yorker looks at the backstory behind Tyler Clementi’s roommate and the student accused of driving Clementi to suicide, Dharun Ravi, with a degree of detail I haven’t seen in any other publication.

The author introduces you to Ravi early on in his life but also explores every aspect of Ravi and Clementi’s relationship. They were far from perfect roommates, their relationship tainted from the start with tensions across lines of race and sexuality.

Most coverage of this incident, now more than a year old, has been very political and focused on classifying crimes and matching up punishments. But this piece goes far beyond that, delving into who the major players are/were as people and what could have led to a tragedy that sparked a nationwide conversation about bullying. 

This story’s quite long, but quite well-written. Narrative journalism has a beautiful way of grabbing hold of you and really submerging you in a story, and that’s what this does. Parts of this story are disturbing, so read with caution, but this is information worth knowing. 

The parents of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who committed suicide last year after an incident of homophobic cyberbullying, have created an anti-cyberbullying foundation in their son’s memory. 

Joe and Jane Clementi have told media that the Tyler Clementi Foundation will “promote the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) teens, work to reduce suicide among young people and discourage cyberbullying.”

“One statistic I just can’t get my ahead around is that LGBT teens are seven times more likely” to have thoughts about suicide than heterosexual teens, Joe Clementi told ABC News. “That’s just a staggering statistic.”

These individuals are so strong for turning a tragedy into something that can help others. More power and good thoughts to them. Check out the foundation here. 

It’s been a year since Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide after his roommate broadcast a video online of his sexual encounter with another man.  

Tyler’s suicide was one of a string of bullying-related LGBT youth suicides last fall. The country stood in horror as one teenager after another made the dreadful decision, unable to take the harassment they faced because of their sexuality. And it’s not over; most recently, we mourn 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, who took his life last week. 

Since last fall, we’ve made huge strides in addressing LGBT bullying. Dan Savage’s It Gets Better campaign and the Trevor Project have taken the lead in providing resources and hope for gay teens who feel trapped. Politicians and celebrities have stepped up as activists to push for change. School districts have enacted legal measures to crack down on bullying. 

We can’t bring back Tyler or others who went through the same pain, but we can work to make sure nobody else has to hurt as they did. How have you changed in the last year? Have your thoughts on bullying changed?