BALTIMORE — A group of twelve students from a university in Maryland’s Eastern Shore have been apprehended after allegedly luring an individual to an off-campus location, where he was assaulted and subjected to homophobic slurs, as reported by local law enforcement.
These students are facing multiple charges, including assault and false imprisonment, in addition to hate crime accusations for reportedly targeting the victim due to his sexual orientation, according to a statement from Salisbury police. The legal documents detailed that one of the individuals involved created a phony profile on a dating application, misleading the victim into believing he would have an encounter with someone who was 16 years old.
One of the defendants’ attorneys, Steve Rakow, has strongly refuted claims regarding the motivation behind the attack. He asserted that the victim did not report the incident as he was allegedly seeking sexual relations with a younger individual. The court documents do not specify the victim’s age, but it is noteworthy that Maryland law permits consensual relations with individuals 16 and older under certain conditions.
Rakow emphasized, “Let me just set the record straight — this is not a hate crime,” in an email correspondence. Meanwhile, university officials confirmed that all twelve students involved have been suspended from the institution pending further investigation. They expressed their commitment to collaborating with law enforcement and condemned any acts of violence.
Carolyn Ringer Lepre, the university president, indicated her intent to form a task force centered on fostering inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community. She communicated the university’s distress over the occurrence of such a hateful act within their community, stating, “Our community is reeling from an act of visceral hate… We are witnessing a campus filled with anguish that something so unspeakable could happen from within the community that we all love.”
In response, Rakow criticized the university for acting hastily by suspending the students without due process, asserting that “apparently, due process doesn’t apply to academia.” Other representatives for the students either chose not to comment or did not respond to inquiries. It appears that some of the defendants have yet to retain legal representation as their names do not appear in court records online.
Salisbury University is situated approximately 100 miles southeast of Baltimore. The investigation commenced when two witnesses informed campus police about a recorded video depicting the assault that took place on October 15.
Authorities subsequently retrieved the video from one defendant’s phone, which showed the victim departing from the scene in his vehicle. Investigators utilized his license plate number to reach out to him. The victim reported to the police that he did not report the incident sooner due to fears of retaliation and threats from the perpetrators following the attack.
According to the documents, the victim went to the apartment with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with someone he mistakenly believed was 16. As he entered, a group of young men allegedly emerged from the bedrooms, forcibly restraining him in a chair situated in the living area. They proceeded to slap, punch, kick, and spit on him while directing derogatory remarks at him and blocking his exit, as stated by police.
The victim sustained injuries, including a broken rib and significant bruising. The charges against the defendants vary, with some facing more serious allegations than others.