An assistant coach on Thursday resigned
from his job at a Roman Catholic high school over his alleged
participation in the brutal beating of a gay couple in Philadelphia's
downtown Center City neighborhood.
According to the men and several
witnesses, the couple, together over a decade, was approached by a
group of 10 to 12 men and women last Thursday night as they made
their way to dinner. One of them asked the men if they were
boyfriends. When one of the men answered “yes,” the group rushed
them and began punching and kicking the men. As a result of the
beating, one of the victims, 28, was hospitalized for more than three
days and had to have his jaw wired shut.
“Violence against anyone, simply
because of who they are, is inexcusable and alien to what it means to
be a Christian,” Archbishop Charles Chaput said in a statement.
Police received help in identifying the
suspects from online sleuths. Shortly after officials released
surveillance video of the suspects, social media users used details
found in various posts to track down where the group had dined and
other information.
No arrests have been made, but police
have spoken to some of those seen in the video. According to
Philadelphia's NBC10,
attorneys who represent some of the suspects claim that they were
attacked first.
Chaput said some of men and women seen
in the video were former students at Archbishop Wood.
“A key part of a Catholic education
is forming students to respect the dignity of every human person
whether we agree with them or not,” Chaput said in a statement.