Witness Testifies Dharun Ravi “Uncomfortable” With Gay Roommate Tyler Clementi

Dharun Ravi "appeared uncomfortable" with having a gay roommate, an ultimate Frisbee teammate testified in Ravi's trial Thursday morning. "He had a suspicion that his roommate was gay," said Geoffrey Irving, a Rutgers graduate who was the captain of Ravi's ultimate Frisbee team in September 2010. "He appeared uncomfortable with the situation," Irving said, adding that Ravi mentioned his roommate on more than one occasion, and that it came up in the natural course of conversation. Ravi, 20, faces charges of bias intimidation, hindering apprehension and invasion of privacy. Prosecutors say he turned on a webcam in his room from a friend's laptop, using the webcam to briefly watch his roommate kiss another man. Prosecutors say Ravi's behaviour was intended to intimidate his roommate because of his sexual orientation. But multiple students and friends of Ravi's have testified this week that Ravi never said anything hateful or derogatory about his roommate's sexual orientation. The Star-Ledger reports Irving's testimony was the first time anyone has indicated that Ravi was uneasy having a gay roommate. But, when asked on cross-examination if Ravi ever said anything "disparaging" or "malicious" about his roommate, Irving said no. If convicted on the top bias intimidation charges, also known as a hate crime, Ravi faces up to 10 years in prison. Ravi is accused of attempted invasion of privacy because he allegedly set up the webcam a second time, two days after the first spying incident. On that night, September 21, 2010, Ravi was at ultimate Frisbee practice with Irving, he testified. After practice, Ravi, Irving and others went to get takeout food at the dining hall, when Ravi brought up the subject of his webcam, Irving said. "He told me that he had set up a webcam of some sort to capture images of his roommate," Irving said. "He said he had done it before." Ravi's roommate, Tyler Clementi, made national headlines when he committed suicide on September 22, 2010. Ravi is not charged in connection with Clementi's death. The trial, which began last Friday, is expected to last three to four weeks.