High School Graduation Party Turns Into Attempt at Burning Gay Man Alive

Posted by Kevin Farrell on May 29, 2012 in Oh Hell No! | 18 comments

“As we goooo on, we remembeeeer, all the times weeee, had togeeeether.”

Max Pelofske, 21, of Duluth, said he came to a party at the pit to offer his congratulations to a friend’s sister, who will graduate from Proctor High School in several days. The friend, Kelly Johnson, also 21, said she and Pelofske had been at the unsanctioned gathering of about 50 people, mostly current and former Proctor students, for about five minutes when a boy approached her and Pelofske.

“He told me to look him in the eyes, and I was really confused because I’d never seen the guy before,” Pelofske told the News Tribune. “He asked me: ‘Are you gay?’ And I said, ‘Yes. Is that OK?’ ”

After that, Pelofske said he was struck in the head by a flying beer can, and a crowd of boys surrounded him, threw him to the ground and began punching and kicking him.

“I tried to get up, but I kept getting knocked back down,” said Pelofske, who described his alleged assailants as “all laughing and smiling.”

“They were trying to throw me into the fire,” he said.

Johnson said at least nine boys were involved in the attack.

“I thought they were going to kill him,” Johnson said, estimating that the beating went on for five to 10 minutes. She said she tried to intervene but was pushed away. “I was screaming, ‘Just let us leave!’ ”

Other people at the party gave police a different account of events. An account that was totally refuted by the evidence, but a different account nonetheless. Guests attempting to whitewash the gaybashing that went down told police that Pelofske was attacked for stealing drinks from guests at the party. Pelofske immediately asked for a breathalyzer test from police which proved that this accusation was baseless as he had not been drinking.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department is investigating whether or not to file hate crime charges against the two of the nine attackers who have been arrested so far.

Stay tuned for more on which of Proctor High School’s class of 2012 will be graduating from the classroom to the slammer.

Jerks.

Anonymous

What is with people of late trying to throw gay people in fires? Are we replaying the Salem years all over again? Damn I thought we had advanced since the Dark Ages, guess some can’t.

Anonymous

A lot of ignorance being thrown into the mix, instead of adults taking stances of tolerance. Then you have preachers, pastors, and heads of churches (basically leaders of communities, hello…..) telling their “audiences” that gays should be killed, burned at the stake, all sorts of medieval crap. We are living in really sorry times when leaders espouse killing those whom they either don’t like, or deem unacceptable. I am sick of it.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592796245 Trenton Flock

This is a textbook example of hate crime. Something tells me these thugs know little about textbook examples of anything related to gay issues thanks to the gag order that schools and students face in trying to discuss human sexuality and the politics of oppression. Let’s just hope that the prosecutor knows better…or I’ll be carrying a banner and a torch to the courthouse myself. Even if one questions the legality and efficacy of hate crime legislation, where the laws exist and are not enforced the message becomes: The government will only pretend to protect LGBTQ people, so it’s open season!

Throw the book at these creeps.
http://twitter.com/TheBippi Bry

Um, is this even a question?! Why are they holding off on filing this as a hate crime?! Where’s the Lambda Legal?!?!
Jacob Ryan

Wow. This is sick. At least the guy wasn’t so far done-in that he couldn’t tell his side of the story once the authorities showed up.
http://www.facebook.com/theafner Thomas Ryan Heafner

Are you sure this is St Louis? Cause i have no reconciliation of this being on the news or anything…
Ariel B. Dreamfalling

People who react so violently toward members of our community are often covering up for their own sexual repression. Then of course there’s just old fashioned ignorant bigotry. I’m sure a lot of the boys who were involved in this are hiding their own secrets. It’s sick. It’s infuriating. Stories like this really make me wish I had the ability to just make people disappear from the face of the planet with a wave of my hand. Whatever the reason behind this kind of violence it needs to end and it needs to end NOW!
http://profile.yahoo.com/D6MP5EIODKQPMJ6A3NL52QHAM4 Annie

Hate crime, pure and simple. The boys should all meet the same fate as Dharun Ravi. But in this case it is attempted murder and assault. I hope they enjoyed graduation, they will be using their education while rotting in prison.

http://twitter.com/originalslicey Jessica Bridges

Except Ravi isn’t rotting in prison, so I’m sure these boys as well will receive a slap on the wrist or a minor assault charge.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=735035983 Amanda Lee-Pearl Moore

unfortunately, It’s Duluth Minnesota D:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Doneau-Probst/1773769919 Doneau Probst

Only 2 of the nine? What about filing charges of underage drinking? (Legal drinking age in Minnesota is 21.) What about giving false information to the police? This whole thing reeks of the Keystone Cops syndrome. If I were the Officer on scene, I would have arrested these assholes (and anyone else who stood around and did nothing) with every charge I could legally apply.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1211241583 Ethan Hackett

I hope all 9 of these bigots get a serious taste of why we don’t allow people to physically express their hate. The skewed view of gays as being worthy of violence in the first place is horrifying and sickening, but when it goes from ignorance to violence, there should be zero tolerance for their actions.
Anonymous

I believe they said St. Louis County, in another state.
http://profile.yahoo.com/NGQ3BKUEDCR4IJTACIREN47K2Y Karl

seriously.. they are waiting to see if this was hate crime. IT WAS YOU STUPID BUNCH OF HILLBILLY REDNECK COPS! GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR BUTTS, THESE NINE DELINQUENTS SHOULD BE THROWN IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_L2AIMLIY3HCEI3GSFGCPK6OW2Y Craig

I think an investigation to see how many of those disgusting delinquents are related to people on the police force
http://www.facebook.com/Everssor Justin Cortez

This is why the world will be a better place when the baby boomers, and my generation are dead.
http://profile.yahoo.com/TTHBW7SIF3K3KYTEUIQ5K5NDAA Bradley

Hope the FBI gets involved attempted murder, aggravated assault; assault; cover up; trying to burn someone alive; may I go on
http://www.facebook.com/people/Clay-Utley/1193131887 Clay Utley

Absolutely unacceptable!!! Why is the Sheriffs department stalling when this is a very clear case of hate crime. No one should have to deal with bullies whether you are straight or gay. The boys better be happy that it is a hate crime and not man slaughter for beating the poor kid for 10 minutes. Once again here is another story of were we have failed as parents and a society to accept each other and love thy neighbor. I am just so shocked at this story that it makes me sick to just read it. When are we going to grow up and face the fact is not the land of the free as the government has us think we are!

Tags

High School Graduation Party Turns Into Attempt at Burning Gay Man Alive

Pages

Tags

High School Graduation Party Turns Into Attempt at Burning Gay Man Alive

Yo Categories

Pages