Seven students at Salisbury University in Maryland lured a person they targeted because of his sexual orientation to an off-campus apartment, where they spat on, held and beat him for several minutes, breaking a rib and causing bruises, according to the police.
The students, all men ranging in age from 18 to 20, face assault and hate crime charges in the attack, the Salisbury Police Department said in a news release on Tuesday. The person attacked was not identified to protect their safety, though police said the individual is not a student at Salisbury University.
The students used a social media account to invite the person to the apartment under false pretenses on Oct. 15, the police said. Once in the apartment, the students swarmed and forcefully sat that person in a chair in the living room, where they “kicked, punched and spit on” their target “while the men called the victim derogatory names,” the release said.
The person who was attacked tried to flee, and the men threw him to the floor, according to the police. After several minutes of being assaulted, the person was allowed to leave the apartment and sought medical assistance.
The students arrested in the case are Riley Brister, 20, of Davidsonville, Md., Ryder Baker, 20, of Olney, Md.; Bennan Aird, 18, of Milton, Del.; Cruz Cespedes, 19, of Jarrettsville, Md.; Dylan Earp, 20, of Gambrills, Md.; Elijah Johnson, 19, of Crofton, Md.; and Zachary Leinemann, 18, of Crofton, Md.
Lawyers for two of the men, Mr. Brister and Mr. Leinemann, said on Wednesday that the alleged victim is an adult man who went to the apartment with the intention of having sex with a 16-year-old. None of the students charged in the case are minors.
“This is not a situation wherein the alleged victim was targeted due to his sexual orientation,” said James L. Britt, who is representing Mr. Leinemann. “Once all of the facts see the light of day, this case will be shown to be an ill-advised attempt to expose someone” who was traveling for sex with a teenager, he said.
Steven Rakow, who is representing Mr. Brister, also said the man was there for sex with a 16-year-old, adding that his client would plead not guilty.
It was not clear whether all of the students had legal representation. Mr. Rakow said they were all released from custody on Wednesday.
The students were either part of or pledging to become members of a fraternity, the police said. In addition to hate-crime charges, they are each charged with assault, false imprisonment and reckless endangerment.
The Salisbury University Police Department notified the Salisbury Police Department of the assault on Oct. 31. Detectives from the city’s Police Department said that they had interviewed witnesses and obtained a video from someone who had recorded the incident on their phone.
Jason Rhodes, a spokesman for Salisbury University, said in a statement that the university condemns all acts of violence. “Any student who commits an act of violence can expect to face criminal charges, as well as disciplinary action under S.U.’s Student Code of Community Standards,” the statement said.
Salisbury University is a four year public university on Maryland’s Eastern Shore with about 6,200 undergraduate students, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Carolyn Ringer Lepre, the Salisbury University president, said in an email to the campus community on Tuesday that the accused students were under interim suspension as the investigation moved forward.
“Acts of violence toward L.G.B.T.Q.+ and ally communities are not only destructive but at odds with the principles of community, respect, and belonging that bind us together as a university,” she said in the email.
The post 7 Salisbury U. Students Beat Person Because of Sexual Orientation, Police Say appeared first on New York Times.
