Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei, the Rutgers
University freshmen accused of bullying Tyler Clementi to death, have
withdrawn from the school, the New York Post reported.
Clementi jumped off the George
Washington Bridge to his death after learning that his roommate,
Ravi, had secretly streamed live video of him having sex with another
man onto the Internet.
Lawyers for Wei on Friday said the
18-year-old student quit out of fear for her life.
“She is a student in good standing,
has not been convicted of anything but had concerns for her safety,”
Rubin Sinins told the Star-Ledger.
Ravi, also 18, has transferred out of
Rutgers to another school.
Ravi and Wei have been charged with
invading 18-year-old Clementi's privacy, but New Jersey officials
have said they are considering charging the pair with committing a
hate crime because Clementi was gay.
The nationwide gay college group Campus
Pride had urged university officials to expel both students, saying
they had acted “maliciously” and that Rutgers University owed an
obligation to the parents of Clementi.
Ravi is free on $25,000 bail and Wei is
free on her own recognizance.
Ravi has said he hopes the public won't
rush to judgment. Wei's attorney has denied her guilt, saying she's
“a wonderful, caring and talented young woman with a bright
future.”
Clementi's death sparked a nationwide
debate on gay teens being bullied to death.