U. names center after Clementi

The family of Tyler Clementi, along with elected officials, announced the creation of the Tyler Clementi Center yesterday — a collaboration that will be used to facilitate a change in dealing with youth, particularly within the LGBTQ community.

The center will serve as a collective between the University and the Tyler Clementi Foundation and will address LGBTQ issues through training sessions, lectures and events, said Susan Furrer, co-director of the Tyler Clementi Center. The announcement took place at the Rutgers University Visitor Center on the Busch campus. The center will be located in rented space on George Street in New Brunswick, according to nj.com.

“[The center] will forge the connection between theory and practice, to fill the gaps which our vulnerable youth … fall through in their most difficult times,” said Jeff Longhofer co-director of the center.

Clementi committed suicide in September 2010 after his roommate Dharun Ravi recorded his sexual encounters with another man in their shared room using a webcam and posted it online. Ravi was found guilty of 15 crimes, and sentenced to 30 days in jail, 3 years probation and a $10,000 fine.

Richard L. Edwards, executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said the events Clementi experienced were tragic and unforgettable, provoking the University to respond by initiating preventative efforts.

“Our University community and indeed the world know the name of Tyler Clementi … who in the threshold of his college career, when entering into a new life as an openly gay man, had his privacy violated and sexuality held up for derision and days later … took his own life,” Edwards said.

Edwards said the center would serve as a place to go for young people in situations similar to Clementi’s.

“The academic center … honors his life and will strive for the discovery of knowledge about young people making transitions … we seek to close gaps between theory and knowledge on the one hand and practice on the other,” he said.

Tyler’s father, Joseph Clementi, who is also president and co-founder of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, expressed his thanks to the University and said they will be able continue their work in confronting the problems regarding bullying and even further, finding resolutions.

“Today is a collaboration born out of compassionate conversation and collective vision for improving the lives of young people,” Joseph Clementi said. “These events aren’t just individual tragedies, they point to larger issues in our society and must be called to attention. [The center] is an answer to that call.”

He said though the excitement of the center does bring back grief from the loss of his son, he is hopeful that the loss is not in vain and will bring about new efforts for those suffering from the same antagonism.

“We can create a new legacy around Tyler’s pain — proof that people listen … and reach our youth and help them get through dark times. Through the [center] we have the chance to not only impact young people here at Rutgers but young people across the nation,” he said.

Joseph Clementi thanked the audience again for their support and collective vision for ceasing bullying and providing a system from those suffering to confide in.

“My entire family and our foundation are [hopeful] that together we can make a difference in helping our young people realize their dreams and create the pathways of support for them to get there, we thank you,” he said.

Rep. Rush Holt Jr., D-12, who was in attendance, said he is eager to help address the issues presented.

“I wish it didn’t have to be such a painful lesson, but I think that a lot of good is coming out of this and will come out of this. For victims, for bullies, for bystanders there will be comfort found, wisdom imparted and action engendered,” Holt said.

Holt said he admires the Clementi family for going through with their work and strength in dealing with the tragedy and believes this work will motivate others to act in the same way, who otherwise would not have done so.

“We will confront problems head-on in a compassionate way … so that there are no schools, there are no institutions that harass their students … and that we won’t short-change society by forcing people not to express their differences, not to express their identities,” he said.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6, said Sen. Lautenberg’s, D-N.J., “Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act,” which Pallone co-sponsors with Holt, would provide money nationwide to colleges and universities to fund programs for LGBTQ students and is imperative to the effort.

“This bill is very important. We want to require … that colleges have a policy and there will be money [provided], so it’s only not something we require universities to do but also provide them with the funding so they could moved ahead with it,” he said.

Pallone promised his devotion and dedication to the matter of promoting equal rights and the freedom to express those rights.

“We both represent Rutgers with great interest and enthusiasm because Rutgers does things right,” Holt said. “And this is one of those things that Rutgers is doing right.”