A Question of Culpability

Recently, the parents of deceased Rutgers student Tyler Clementi announced that they have preserved the right to sue Rutgers over their negligence to act on his behalf in the events leading to his tragic suicide. Mr. Clementi jumped off of the George Washington Bridge in late September after his roommate Dharun Ravi and classmate Molly Wei broadcast his sexual encounter with another man over the internet. While many would believe that the family is simply trying to take advantage of the sympathetic feelings towards the parents, it would be wise to mull over the finer details of the case and see whether or not the university was truly at fault.
Firstly, Mr. Clementi did speak to an Resident Assistant about his roommate’s voyeurism. He also requested a room change. Unfortunately, two days later (I believe), he committed suicide.
Secondly, Mr. Clementi spoke to two “higher ups” (as he put it) about his roommate’s indecency. Who they are is not known (or at least not well known), though their actions could have drastic implications.
If Rutgers official staff did not act within the window between Mr. Clementi’s first report and his suicide, then the parents have the right to claim gross negligence on the part of the university for, 1: Not upholding their privacy guidelines, and 2: Not acting in an expedited fashion to rectify the problem.
The first incident should have been the stopping point, as there was enough evidence against Mr. Ravi to act on Mr. Clementi’s allegations of invasion of privacy. Mr. Ravi posted on his Twitter feed “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” Two days later, Mr. Ravi posted again: “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it’s happening again.” Quotes from www.dailymail.co.uk
The ultimate verdict, however, rests with the Resident Assistant and the “higher ups” in question, because if they failed to act in any way, Rutgers will be held accountable for their lack of action. If the evidence surrounding them shows that no tangible action was taken, either in the form of a formal action (through Rutgers bureaucracy) or direct (the RA speaking directly to Mr. Ravi and admonishing him), then the family has every right to sue Rutgers. And, if that is the case, I support the Clementi family wholeheartedly.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg