Gay Emory Student Dragged From Frat Party

[knight_shadow]

Was this some kind of early Halloween/theme party?

[Kevin]

An alleged reply from the individual who threw the "Wizard" out.

Hello all. This is Adam Smith, and I would like to add this:

I do not know the individual that I kicked out of the party. If I knew his name I would have already sent him a sincere and personal apology for the incident that occurred.
I am in NO WAY at all a homophobic person. I have many friends at Emory who will vouch for me as a friendly guy and a genuinely great person.

This article paints me in an unfairly negative way. It was originally written and published without my input at all, using accounts by the Wizard and his friend(s) only. I was told earlier tonight that an article had just been posted about me online. I shockingly read it in its entirety, including that "Smith was attempted to be reached for comment but did not respond." For the record, I received zero emails, calls/texts, Facebook messages...I am sure if anyone on the Emory Wheel staff put in any sort of honest effort to contact me they easily could have. I tracked down the editor of the Wheel's cell phone number and called him at 2am this morning, asking how this could have happened. He talked with me briefly, wrote down a few comments, and then informed me that the hard copy of the Wheel had already been printed but agreed to add in what I had to say in the online version.

If Emory wants to bring the issue to light that the student body and/or Greek system is unfriendly toward the LGBT community, and that "instances of violence [against LGBT] have been less visible on Emory’s campus", I think this is a cheap, irresponsible, and unfair way to go about doing it. To take this hazy, isolated incident, blow it out of proportion, and turn me into a scapegoat and slander my name is ridiculous. I think it is unprofessional reporting and would hope for some sort of apology from the Emory Wheel.

Further there was not any "approving reaction" from the crowd at the party for me putting this kid in a headlock and throwing him out, nor was I walking around bragging to other people that I just kicked "this faggot kid" out of the party, high five bro...Really?? This whole dumb event occurred because I was drunk and thought it would be funny to throw someone out to the wrath of the huge security guard at the door, and the most ridiculous person that naturally stood out to me was this Wizard dressed kid. I purposely egged him on a little bit, he snapped back at me, and I threw him out.

So chalk this up as me being a drunk asshole, a frat guy with too much testosterone, or whatever you want to call me I really don't care. I just want everyone to know that that's literally all it was, that's the honest truth. I'm not some ignorant bigot looking to bash homosexuals, so please don't think that. I hope the Wheel in the future will find better content to publish, rather than turning something small like this into an inflated and untruthful story in order to spark artificial controversy at the cost of an individual like me.

Thanks,
Adam

This is a really good example as to why guest lists are a good idea. Because they had an open party and no guest list, this organization is now facing some pretty serious allegations regarding a now admitted "drunk asshole" picking some kid to toss out of a party. And naturally, there are two sets of facts, both from people who would clearly have strong motivation to lie.

Another lesson here is crisis communication. This chapter obviously doesn't have or know their crisis communication plan. In a case like this, the chapter president, or maybe even the chapter's legal counsel needs to be the sole point of contact for the media. The member in question definitely doesn't need to be posting his recollection of the events in the comments section of the newspaper's website. Mr. Smith and Sigma Nu are now married to the admission that Smith was a "drunk asshole" who was looking to pick someone different looking out of the crowd and toss him out just for the hell of it.

I doubt anyone is getting sued or going to jail, but Smith's brothers probably aren't going to be very happy with them since they're probably going to have to spend several hours in some sort of ridiculous diversity workshop to pay for their brother's drunken assholery which took probably all of 30 seconds to complete.

[DrPhil]

The chapter did have security at the party. That's a nice letter that Smith wrote.

There are some things about the tone of his article. I did chuckle at "I'm a nice guy" as though that prevents being a homophobe. Also, saying things because you're angry and/or drunk doesn't make someone not a potential homophobe.

I'm also amused by the "drunk frat guy with too much testosterone." Oh how heteromasculinity amuses me.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

The chapter did have security at the party. That's a nice letter that Smith wrote.

There are some things about the tone of his article. I did chuckle at "I'm a nice guy" as though that prevents being a homophobe. Also, saying things because you're angry and/or drunk doesn't make someone not a potential homophobe.

I'm also amused by the "drunk frat guy with too much testosterone." Oh how heteromasculinity amuses me.

He shouldn't have written the letter. As Kevin said, dealing with the media is better left to someone other than the person involved, and probably to an actual adult. There's even more "he said/he said" now, and as Kevin pointed out, both parties have a motivation to lie/embellish/omit.

Were there some homophobic slurs used? I believe it. Was it as dramatic as Wizard-kid described? I doubt it. I'm glad that Smith did acknowledge the stupidity of the incident, but he loses points for IMO leaving a few details out. Which is why it shouldn't be him addressing the media.

[nittanygirl]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

There's even more "he said/he said" now, and as Kevin pointed out, both parties have a motivation to lie/embellish/omit.

That's exactly what this is. He said/he said. We, who were not there, have no way of knowing the truth of what happened. This whole thing could have been blown out of proportion.
Gay kid gets thrown out of a party he wasn't invited to? Great way to get attention is to say it was because he was gay.
Fraternity boy actually does make gay-hate remarks? Cover it up by lying.

We have no way of knowing what actually happened. Either story could be plausible.

My thought is, if you don't want someone in your party, don't let them in the door in the first place.

[lucgreek]

Coming from a media background, I think it was very bad form, bordering unethical, to publish his name without knowing the other side of the story. There were no charges filed, no police called and no arrests made.

The name of the accuser should have been published. If you're not going to pursue criminal charges, it's not fair to hide behind a veil of anonymity and hurl accusations out.

Like I've said before, both parties are in the wrong, the fraternity alum more so for turning the altercation physical. But from the information that has been revealed, it seems like it was just a case of drunk kids being drunk.

[33girl]

I chuckled at the fact that his name is Adam Smith.

Guest lists help, but not always. If this had been a guest list party, and the wizard kid would have crashed it and they threw him out, most likely the results would have been the same. Outsiders (including the police) don't care and don't understand that guest lists are a RM precaution. They see it as another example of Greek snobbery/elitism.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

He shouldn't have written the letter. As Kevin said, dealing with the media is better left to someone other than the person involved, and probably to an actual adult. There's even more "he said/he said" now, and as Kevin pointed out, both parties have a motivation to lie/embellish/omit.

Were there some homophobic slurs used? I believe it. Was it as dramatic as Wizard-kid described? I doubt it. I'm glad that Smith did acknowledge the stupidity of the incident, but he loses points for IMO leaving a few details out. Which is why it shouldn't be him addressing the media.

These aren't actual adults? The '10 alum in question is probably 21 or older.

In reading the article, it looks like there's a consensus about the assault and slurs that were used. The disagreement is over why it happened and whether it was somewhat justified.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

These aren't actual adults? The '10 alum in question is probably 21 or older.

In reading the article, it looks like there's a consensus about the assault and slurs that were used. The disagreement is over why it happened and whether it was somewhat justified.

I didn't realize he was an alum, but that still doesn't mean he behaves like an adult. Whether you think he should or not. I know plenty of people my age still in school/just out that haven't yet made the transition from "college kid" to "adult". Not that I'm oh-so-mature at all times, but you get the picture.

I don't think there is a consensus because the article takes Wizard-kid and friend's word and Adam Smith gives his own account, and like Kevin said, both of these parties have a motivation to twist things. The one thing the two accounts do agree on is that the physical assault happened, and it shouldn't have. It's he said/he said and we're just left to draw our own conclusions.

Who thinks it's justified?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

I didn't realize he was an alum, but that still doesn't mean he behaves like an adult. Whether you think he should or not. I know plenty of people my age still in school/just out that haven't yet made the transition from "college kid" to "adult". Not that I'm oh-so-mature at all times, but you get the picture.

I don't get the picture. He is an "actual adult."

Coddling college students (those who are not only over 18 but no longer have "teen" at the end of their age) and alum as not "actual adults" does a huge disservice to higher education and Greek Life.

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

I don't think there is a consensus because the article takes Wizard-kid and friend's word and Adam Smith gives his own account, and like Kevin said, both of these parties have a motivation to twist things. The one thing the two accounts do agree on is that the physical assault happened, and it shouldn't have. It's he said/he said and we're just left to draw our own conclusions.

Who thinks it's justified?

From the article:

Guy's statement:
“This guy approached me and asked why I was wearing my hat. ... I said that I like the hat, just as you like your pink shirt. He then asked me if I was gay, and I said I was. He then started choking me with his elbow and put me into a head lock, and he dragged me out of the party by my neck.”

After the student was allegedly dragged the approximately 10 to 15 feet from the house’s common area to the door and thrown onto the front lawn, Smith was overheard telling other attendees “Hey, this kid’s a f****t.”

Adam Smith's statement:
"This kid was at the party, and was acting kind of ridiculous. I went over, took his hat and started dancing around," he said.

Smith then said he asked the student: "Why are you wearing this gay ass hat?" According to Smith, the student replied that it was for the "same reason you're wearing your pink shirt."

Smith said that he then asked if the student was implying that he (Smith) was "f***ing gay or something." Hearing an affirmative reaction, Smith then admitted to putting him in a head lock and ejecting him from the party.

I see an agreement that an assault happened and heterocentric language that is essentially gay bashing was used. The slightly different story that Adam Smith tells is that of why it happened and whether the student did anything to precipitate it (i.e. whether the actions aren't completely Smith's fault because they make a grain of sense despite being wrong----essentially what sigmadiva is arguing).

[knight_shadow]

I really hope this was a theme party or Halloween party. I don't know of anyone who thinks that wizard hat = freakum dress

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

I really hope this was a theme party or Halloween party. I don't know of anyone who thinks that wizard hat = freakum dress

It wasn't a costume party, hence all the undue attention the kid got.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

It wasn't a costume party, hence all the undue attention the kid got.

If his attire was unacceptable for the party, why was he allowed to enter?

*goes back to read the article*

[Kevin]

So it would be fair to say here that neither party used good judgment, that the newspaper seems to have continued that trend by publishing this story, giving anonymity to the complainant whilst publicly trashing Mr. Smith.

This is a whole big ball 'o fail.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Kevin

So it would be fair to say here that neither party used good judgment, that the newspaper seems to have continued that trend by publishing this story, giving anonymity to the complainant whilst publicly trashing Mr. Smith.

This is a whole big ball 'o fail.

Yes.... it is.