Rutgers Student Caught Spying on Gay Roommate Found Guilty of Hate Crimes

March 16th, 2012 - By Victoria Uwumarogie

Tyler C and Dharun R - Source: moviespad.com

While Dharun Ravi, now 20, thought he was just playing an innocent practical joke on his roommate, Tyler Clementi, it was decided today in court that it was not a joke, but indeed a hate crime. Ravi captured Clementi’s sexual encounter with an older man and showed it on a webcam to countless classmates in 2010.  Devastated by the fact that he was displayed by his roommate to so many strangers, Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge soon after finding out. Now this childish act could possibly cost Rhavi his freedom, as well as the opportunity to stay in the United States.

The jury came down with the verdict after 12 hours of deliberation, and Ravi will be sentenced on May 21, facing up to 10 years in prison, as well as possible deportation. Ravi is an Indian citizen who spent the majority of his life in the U.S.  He is currently free on bail, but had to turn over his passport. And while Rhavi and his attorney were hoping to push the idea that it was just a misguided prank by an immature freshman, Ravi’s own instant messages and emails around the time of the crime were the nail in the coffin: “Roommate asked for room till midnight. Went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” Those type of statements, along with the fact that Ravi tried to tape Clementi’s sexual encounters with the same man not just once, but twice–but he was stopped when Clementi found out what was going on–didn’t help him at all.

Ravi was convicted on ALL 15 counts, including two counts of bias intimidation based on sexual orientation (a hate crime),  invasion of privacy and tampering with evidence and witnesses. Last year, Clementi’s family said they didn’t want the punishment for Rhavi to be too harsh. They spoke out today after the verdict was read.

“The trial was painful for us, as it would be for any parent who must sit through and listen to people talk about bad things that were done to their child.”

While I hope they don’t deport Ravi, and that in the end, he doesn’t wind up with all 10 possible years in prison, I can understand why someone would think that sort of punishment would be necessary for him. We clearly live in a time now where bullies are pushing young people way too far (to other acts of violence or suicide), and not much is being done about it. Therefore, if this can open some young person’s eyes to the consequences of their own actions…then sadly, so be it.

Do you think he should have been found guilty? Was it a childish prank gone wrong, or was he acting out of hate?

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  • Liliah

    Im sorry if I get video taped having sex in someone elses room then I asked for it.. im not killing myself over having straight sex and someone putting it on the internet. This happens every day. If he wanted to have privacy he should have gotten a hotel and not have sex in a freaking dorm. Dorms are not a place to have sex in any idiot knows this, his azz sitting trying to be sneaky and he got caught. If this was a girl having sex in a dorm with an older man there would not ne sympathy for the little hoelet.

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  • http://www.readywriterproductioncompany.com/ The-readywriter

    This is sad all the way around. I don’t think Ravi should have been found guilty for causing Clementi’s death but found “GUILTY for invading his privacy”. Clementi was already upset because his mother disapproved of his homesexual lifestyle and may have committed suicide because of that issue.

    • Beauty-Queen

      You’ve assessed this situation PERFECTLY this is an invasion of privacy issue. Someone should not be given a sentence relative to someones response to being humiliated. This is also about humiliation not bullying. There’s no evidence he harassed the boy prior to this STUPID act. What if the person videotaped was not a homosexual? What if they were female? Would it still be a hate crime? Proper perspective in sentencing needs to be done because once one person is given a maximum sentence for causing a suicide, it becomes the norm. People who commit suicide always had it in mind to do SEVERAL times prior. SADLY this young man took his life because of someone else’s stupidity…

  • ladylucksevin

    I wonder what the world would have to say if Tyler Clementi was black. Yea Im throwing the race card into it. They are tagerting Ravi to look like a terrorist, because that is the American way. AMERICA IS A BULLY IN ITSELF, look at our nations capitol and our politics, and the entire basis in which the country was “founded”. Yes founded is in quotes because killing people off the only land they know is genocide not discovery. Ravi did not push Tyler off the bridge, and does not deserve to pay for Tyler’s lifestyle choice. SMH I hope Ravi appeals and appeals and appeals until this goes to Supreme Court. This is absolutely absurd, no amount of time someone spends behind bars is going to bring Tyler Clementi back, and that is the only truth to this unfortunate story.

    • FromUR2UB

      I think you have to consider that it could have happened to anybody, maybe not with the same results.  But, let’s say you sent your daughter off to college, and her roommate secretly videotaped her undressing in her dorm room, and then broadcast or distributed the video? What if you learned that a local restaurant installed cameras in the restroom stalls, regardless of whether the video was posted on the internet.  Wouldn’t you feel violated?  The right to privacy has to be protected. 

      It’s unfortunate that the young man chose to take his own life.  I have the feeling that such a sudden decision to do so, was actually not so sudden.  There must have been something else going on, that was compounded by these events.  Despite my feelings about the gay lifestyle, since there were no children or partners unable to give consent involved, I don”t believe Clementi deserved to be publicly humiliated.  Public humiliation is a form of harrassment, and people should understand that they should just leave people alone, as long as someone is not victimizing or bothering anyone.

      • ladylucksevin

        If my daughter was recorded showering or changing her clothes yes that is an invasion of her privacy, and she might be embarrassed due to any insecurities she may have with her body. Then again showering and changing clothes is something people do everyday its a part of life-if you will. So in my opinion there is no type of shame associated with showering and clothes changing or even being in the nude as opposed to a lifestyle choice such as homosexuality. I would hope my child would have sense enough to go to the proper authorities and say something. I would also hope she knew that we as a society are overloaded with surveillance on a daily basis from the very moment we step out of our front doors or get into out cars. Cameras catch a lot of people doing things they wish they had not done, or at least been caught doing. I agree that his suicide was more deeply routed than the events that took place in his dorm room that were recorded. People have their right to privacy, that is a fact. Then you have social media “networking” and all privacy virtually goes out the window, and everyone exposes themselves to a certain degree for whatever reason they may see fit. So privacy is a very hard thing to maintain in today’s world. I feel Ravi should be punished but on the school level since this happened on campus. The media has an agenda and they focus on who and what they want, and people believe every word they say. 

  • MixedUpInVegas

    There was a time when this would have been treated as a prank–albeit a tasteless one–and maybe the perpetrator would have been expelled.  There is now much more recognition of bullying as a serious social ill–and rightly so–that now the entire matter is viewed differently.  What this student did had aftershocks that he probably didn’t anticipate.  Nonetheless, he is legally an adult and answerable for his behavior.

    It will be interesting to see what the jury feels is an appropriate punishment for his crimes.

  • L-Boogie

    This young man was poorly mistreated! Prank or not it was not funny!

  • Shirl

    He got what he deserved. LALATAREA: I couldn’t agree with you more. Your post was so on point!!

  • Yea I said it

    Omg wow really?!? I for one do not think Ravi should have been found guilty , it was just a prank gone wrong . What’s wrong is Tyler commuting a selfish act such as suicide. If anything Ravi should have just been put on academic probation or expelled but to possibly face 10 years for a prank. There’s too many other criminals to worry about. IMO

    • Sassy

      According to some reports, he was initially offered the option 0f 600hours community service but turned it down for a trial. If true, i am sure he highly regrets it now.

    • Lalatarea

      invading someones privacy then taping them having sex and then showing that tape to other people its just a prank to you? really? even if it weren’t a hate crime thrown in he already needs at least five years. sooo wud be perfectly fine with ur landlord taping u and ur partner having sex then showing that video around? maybe u should think before u speak and type!

    • really???

      you really think this was a prank???

    • http://www.facebook.com/RosarioRed Rosario Stefania Scarsci

      So it’d be okay if I were to secretly tape you while you had sex or masturbated and showed my best friends while we laugh at it? Ha, idiot. What’s worse is that this poor kid killed himself. 

  • jackieOsassin

    i’m happy justice is finally being served. what about the girl who was involved, too?

    • http://www.facebook.com/RosarioRed Rosario Stefania Scarsci

      She was given immunity for her testimony. 

  • He got what he deserved!

    Who cares what YOU think. Just report the FACTS. This is why Madame Noir will never be more than a gossip site.

    • Ally

      clearly you care which is why you didnt just read the short version on aljazeeraEnglish or another website that does not give opinions as I’m sure you well know & had the opportunity to do. Trying to hard to sound intelligent usually does the opposite.