NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A New Jersey college student charged with the bias intimidation of his roommate had no problems with Tyler Clementi's being gay, a friend testified Tuesday.
Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge to his death after Dharun Ravi used a Web cam to tape him cuddling with a man in their Rutgers University dorm room. Ravi is on trial in state court in New Brunswick.
Alissa Agarwal testified Ravi used her computer to turn on his Web cam on a night Clementi had asked for exclusive use of their room, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported. Clementi pulled the plug on Ravi's computer before his guest arrived.
But Agarwal said Ravi "was not the slightest bit upset" by Clementi's sexual orientation. She said Ravi said almost nothing about his roommate.
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Agarwal read two tweets she received from Ravi. One, on Sept. 19, said he had seen him via the Web cam "making out with a dude." Another, two days later, said: "Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again."
Molly Wei, a friend of Ravi's from high school in Plainsboro, N.J., testified she felt "sad" when she was told Sept. 23 that Clementi was missing and had likely taken his own life. Wei was originally charged in the case.
"I was sad, overwhelmed. I felt very bad if anything had happened," she said. "I just was overwhelmed with emotions of sadness. I just felt so bad for what happened."
Clementi was a promising musician from Ridgewood, N.J. He and Ravi first met when they were assigned to be roommates.
Ravi's lawyers argue his behavior was childish and bad-mannered but does not rise to the level of intimidation.
