Tyler Clementi Suicide: Rutgers President Defends Response in Student Sex Tape Case
NEW YORK (CBS/WCBS/AP) The president of Rutgers University says the university responded appropriately to a complaint by Tyler Clementi, the student whose gay sexual encounter was secretly broadcast online by his roommate prior to his suicide.
Richard McCormick told The Star-Ledger of Newark on Thursday that he personally reviewed Clementi's student records after the 18-year-old freshman committed suicide.
"I believe we did all we could and we did the right thing," McCormick told the paper.
He declined to be more specific, citing student privacy laws.
The Star-Ledger earlier reported that prosecutors had subpoenaed Rutgers for e-mails concerning its handling of Clementi's complaint.
Dharun Ravi, Clementi's roommate, and Molly Wei, were each charged with two counts of invasion of privacy last week.
The state's Attorney General, Paula Dow, said investigators were exploring adding hate crime charges; however, the current New Jersey law may not adequately address the circumstances behind Clementi's death, according to CBS station WCBS.
"Most importantly, I think we're looking at examining the facts," Dow said
Middlesex County prosecutors say the pair, both 18, used a webcam to secretly transmit a live image of Clementi having sex with a man on Sept. 19 and that Ravi tried to webcast a second encounter on Sept. 21, the day before Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF TYLER CLEMENTI ON CRIMESIDER
ALSO ON CRIMSIDER
