Why would anyone do this to another human being?

[JoiseyMom]

While it is sad what happened let's remember that this is just a plain old stupid prank that lead to an awfully bad outcome.

Should the kids who did this be punished. Yes. Should their lives be ruined because of it - probably not.

I don't believe in a million years they ever imagined that the kid would commit suicide.

They were having a discussion about the on "Morning Joe" today and their were arguments on both sides.

I live in NJ, and this is big news here. This was not a prank and should not be treated as such. These 2 kids broke the rules at school (student code of conduct) by recording the roommate. And they broke the law by putting the sex video online.

Yes, these kids lives should be ruined! In my opinion THEY are RESPONSIBLE for this young man's death. They killed him.

I hope they are expelled from school. I also hope they get charged for more then just putting the sex video (which they can get a nice chunck of jail time for) on the internet. Involuntary manslaughter works for me!

 

[agnes!]

There's no way on earth they would have pulled this stunt if he'd been with a girl. Heck, even if they had, they could have predicted he'd be embarrassed to be shown having sex with a girl, but not suicidal......But having sex with a guy when it seems he was not out of the closet and was only 18? No.....That was designed to hurt him in the worst way and shows a darkness of character that scares the crap out of anyone with any sort of morals. It's just sick, twisted and evil.

I don't think it took a rocket scientist to realize suicide might be a logical outcome. Come on....These students got into Rutgers. They are not knuckle-dragging morons. Sociopathic perhaps, but not too dense to realize the possible consequences of their actions.

That is a valid point. Just what did the two perpetrators expect to happen?! Their intent has to have been to humiliate, to denigrate, to de-personalize, to characterize another soul as a them or as an object.

I mean...it's not as if they were baking cookies as a gift. Actions, after all, do send a message.

agnes!

 

[JoiseyMom]

This is where I am at as well.

When I was an undergrad, a friend's fraternity brothers hid his anti-seizure meds. What if he would have had a seizure, fallen, hit his head and died. Could have been a stupid prank with an unforeseen outcome. Criminal?

Absolutely, it's called involuntary manslaughter!

"Involuntary manslaughter generally occurs in only two cases. The first is when someone is killed due to criminal negligence. That is, they are killed accidentally when someone else behaves negligently. If a person who is committing the crime of reckless driving or driving under the influence of alcohol kills someone in an accident, this would be criminal negligence.

The second form of involuntary manslaughter is when someone is killed during the commission of another crime, where the intent was not to cause bodily injury or death. This is often called misdemeanor manslaughter. So if someone steals a small object and someone else falls down a flight of stairs trying to chase him, that might be misdemeanor manslaughter, even though the death was an accident and not intended by the thief. The death would not have happened if the thief had not committed the crime. If 2 people grab someone and tie him up to get even for something and he dies of a heart attack, that might also be involuntary manslaughter."


Life has consequences to your actions. What they did was stupid, nasty, mean and vicious, and they deserve the consequences.

If they had done this to my child, I would also be suing, making sure that every penny this person made would be going to pay off the judgement! Would money bring back their child, no, but knowing that they would have to live with that for every second for the rest of their lives would help. Especially if the money was donated to causes that they lost child had believed in!

 

[Angelhalo]

Another case: Luckily this boy didn't commit suicide but it is appalling that after he filed his complaint, nothing was done.

http://perezhilton.com/2010-09-30-a..._of_sexuality_in_asher_browns_school_district

 

[PaulaSB12]

Look I am not trying to defend what they did. I just don't believe this was premeditated.

I also don't believe this is gay related issue. I bet they would have done the same thing if he was with a girl (or alone doing something).

The suicide maybe not but the filming and putting on the net that was premeditated. How on earth could it not be they made sure to hide the cameras so he didn't know so they waited til he was out the way put the cameras in and watched to see what he did then they broadcast it. Waited for it to happen again and again broadcast it that took planning which by definition is prededitated. While we are at it THEY ARE 18 YEARS OLD THEY ARE ADULTS NOT KIDS. Just read this in the original story

The pair, who were high school classmates of the victim, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy

This was deliberate I would hazard that they knew or suspected that he was gay, there was a message to him behind the whole thing. I bet if you checked they had bullied him at school about being gay why else where they watching for it. The message they sent loud and clear to the victim was we can still get to you. We can always get to you and I bet that was what pushed him into suicide.

 

[luvmy3]

This is where I am at as well.

When I was an undergrad, a friend's fraternity brothers hid his anti-seizure meds. What if he would have had a seizure, fallen, hit his head and died. Could have been a stupid prank with an unforeseen outcome. Criminal?

I understand what you are saying and part of me does agree. When I was 18 I knew kids that would do something like this, but not to be malicious or hateful, they were just idiots.
However I do agree that these kid should be punished for their actions, and they should be charged with anything they legally can be in regards to their crime' i don't believe they should be charged with murder, or manslaughter but if involuntary manslaughter fits, then so be it.

 

[Poppinsme]

i live in nj, and this is big news here. This was not a prank and should not be treated as such. These 2 kids broke the rules at school (student code of conduct) by recording the roommate. And they broke the law by putting the sex video online.

Yes, these kids lives should be ruined! In my opinion they are responsible for this young man's death. They killed him.

I hope they are expelled from school. I also hope they get charged for more then just putting the sex video (which they can get a nice chunck of jail time for) on the internet. Involuntary manslaughter works for me!

Agree!!!!

 

[luvmy3]

The suicide maybe not but the filming and putting on the net that was premeditated. How on earth could it not be they made sure to hide the cameras so he didn't know so they waited til he was out the way put the cameras in and watched to see what he did then they broadcast it. Waited for it to happen again and again broadcast it that took planning which by definition is prededitated. While we are at it THEY ARE 18 YEARS OLD THEY ARE ADULTS NOT KIDS. Just read this in the original story

The pair, who were high school classmates of the victim, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy

This was deliberate I would hazard that they knew or suspected that he was gay, there was a message to him behind the whole thing. I bet if you checked they had bullied him at school about being gay why else where they watching for it. The message they sent loud and clear to the victim was we can still get to you. We can always get to you and I bet that was what pushed him into suicide.

I asked about that earlier in the thread and someone posted that they did not go to the same HS, the the roomate and the girl did, but Tyler went to a different one.

 

[jrmasm]

Anyone a lawyer or play one on tv?

I'm curious if you can be found guilty of man slaughter when the death is a suicide? A PP mentioned being 'killed'. Is suicide the same thing as being killed in the eyes of the law?

 

[indimom]

Sick and cruel. I hope they get every minute of jail time they can possibly be charged with.

 

[TDC Nala]

I went to college. I get being annoyed because your roommate keeps kicking you out of YOUR room so they can have a date over. But you ask for a new roommate, you don't do THIS.

 

[allison443]

The suicide maybe not but the filming and putting on the net that was premeditated. How on earth could it not be they made sure to hide the cameras so he didn't know so they waited til he was out the way put the cameras in and watched to see what he did then they broadcast it. Waited for it to happen again and again broadcast it that took planning which by definition is prededitated. While we are at it THEY ARE 18 YEARS OLD THEY ARE ADULTS NOT KIDS. Just read this in the original story

The pair, who were high school classmates of the victim, were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy

This was deliberate I would hazard that they knew or suspected that he was gay, there was a message to him behind the whole thing. I bet if you checked they had bullied him at school about being gay why else where they watching for it. The message they sent loud and clear to the victim was we can still get to you. We can always get to you and I bet that was what pushed him into suicide.

The two perpetrators were high school classmates who both went on to Rutgers. They were NOT high school classmates of the victim. They went to different high schools in completely different parts of the state. Tyler did not know his roommate before college. Just clearing that up.

 

[MELSMICE]

A prank is putting vaseline on the door. Broadcasting someone having sex on the internet withour their knowledge or consent goes WELL beyond prank!

Couldn't agree more.

 

[dejr_8]

I understand what you are saying and part of me does agree. When I was 18 I knew kids that would do something like this, but not to be malicious or hateful, they were just idiots.
However I do agree that these kid should be punished for their actions, and they should be charged with anything they legally can be in regards to their crime' i don't believe they should be charged with murder, or manslaughter but if involuntary manslaughter fits, then so be it.

Exactly!

I don't believe this is the type of case where your lock 'em and throw the key away.

 

[4nana]

So very cruel ~ sad and heartbreaking the amount of humiliation Tyler suffered.
Sadly, no amount of justice will bring him back. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

So very cruel ~ sad and heartbreaking the amount of humilation Tyler suffered.
Sadly, no amount of justice will bring him back. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Sadly, no. But, a good deal of justice could prevent further tragedies of this nature. Within the past 2 days, I've learned of no less than 4 similar cases of bullying (some resulted in deaths, others did not), and I'm certain that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Once these monsters see that the Courts will punish their actions, perhaps they'll decide to join the ranks of true human beings.

 

[RadioNate]

They shouldn't have their lives ruined? They ruined their own lives. This was 100% premeditated. The guy put it on the internet and then live streamed the 2nd "encounter." Sorry but his tweets indicate that it was because the roommate was gay.

 

[BoogasMom]

Here's 18 year-old Tyler Clementi's Facebook photo:

To me, something to be remembered is not the fact that the people who were taped without their knowledge were gay...it's the fact that *two human beings* were taped during their most intimate moments. Straight, gay, it doesn't matter...there are probably many other people who would be devastated if a tape of their private time was shared over the Internet and who might do something impulsive like Mr. Clementi did.

Oh, and what's additionally truly sick is that the roommate and his female-accomplice did this twice. On the 19th he set up the webcam in his room, went to her room to watch and Twittered about it all, apparently broadcasting the video to an unnamed website. On the 21st he then told his 150 followers to get on iChat at a certain time so they could access iChat's live video feed and watch.



agnes!
PS - Wonder how many high school seniors are thinking they really don't want to apply to Rutgers now?...

I have to agree with your post. It's such a sad situation and, as a mother of a child who has been bullied in the past, my heart aches for Tyler's mother. Did the two adults who did this know he would kill himself? Probably not....but the fact remains that what they did to another human being, gay or straight, was highly illegal and immoral and they deserve the harshest level of legal punishment out there.

 

[MELSMICE]

I don't believe this is the type of case where your lock 'em and throw the key away.

I do agree that they should not spend life in jail, however, they need to be held accountable for the actions.

So what is the proper punishment? This was a premeditated, thought out act.

Not to mention...........what about the other boy involved in the sexual encounter?

 

[allison443]

PS - Wonder how many high school seniors are thinking they really don't want to apply to Rutgers now?...

I live in NJ, my kids didn't go to Rutgers, but I don't think this would impact the applications. There are so many other factors. Rutgers is a very good school and many very, very bright students attend there. I would hope people have enough sense not to condemn the university for the terrible actions of a few.