One Year Later

Anderson Cooper and Rutgers to remember Tyler Clementi

Tuesday, 20 September 2011 -- 13:51

By Jillian Risberg
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM


It was one year ago this Thursday, Sept. 22, 2010, that Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

To mark the somber day, Rutgers will hold suicide prevention and anti-homophobic events, as well as a bullying forum that will be nationally televised on CNN. The program will air Oct. 9. Anderson Cooper, host of the network’s “Anderson Cooper 360° will moderate, university officials announced today.

Rutgers President Richard McCormick called the campus community richly diverse and said, “We strive to promote the free exchange of ideas in an atmosphere of civility, inclusion and mutual respect. The university is gratified that CNN recognized this and invited us to host this important event, part of a wide-ranging national campaign to combat bullying," reports dailytargum.com.

Just days before Clementi’s death, the 18-year-old Ridgewood resident discovered that his roommate allegedly spied on him using a webcam as he kissed another man in their dorm room.

Cyber bullying and gay bashing took center stage in the international media.

On April 20, 2011, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, who boasted on Twitter, “I saw him making out with a dude,” referring to the Internet liaison of his gay roommate, was indicted on 15-counts — including invasion of privacy, bias intimidation, tampering with evidence and lying to authorities. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Despite the protestations of Ravi’s lawyers, Judge Glenn Berman refused to dismiss the charges against the former Rutgers student, who will be back in court on Oct. 20.

CNN, in collaboration with Time Inc., Facebook and the Cartoon Network have launched a nationwide campaign to stop bullying and the University is offering several events in the coming weeks:

"Resilience & Strength: A Conversation about Suicide, Healing and Beyond” - Sept. 22.

"Coming ‘Out' as an Ally: Standing with the LGBTQ Community" - Sept. 29.

"OUTwardly Fabulous: A One Woman Show About Bullying and Homophobia" - Oct. 2.

Scholarly symposium on young adults’ use and misuse of social media - Nov. 14.