'Asking for It'

While I have been engrossed in the "unsolved" killing of Robert Wone in Washington, another high-profile murder investigation in the nation's capital has making progress, with three 18-year-old men now in custody for the slaying of Brian Betts, a beloved principal at a troubled D.C. middle school.

The case has all the elements of a made-for-TV movie, beginning with Betts' unknowingly moving into a house in Silver Spring, Md., that was the scene of a high-profile homicide a few years earlier. (Greg Russell and his 9-year-old daughter, Erika Smith, were brutally murdered there by an intruder in 2002.) When Betts failed to show up for work on April 15, colleagues became concerned and visited his home, where they found him shot dead in his bedroom. His wallet and car were missing, and speculation began to run amok as the absence of forced entry led investigators to believe Betts knew his killer(s).

While The Washington Post steered clear of the "He's gay! That must be why!" angle, other media outlets hammered at it, as did commenters on Post articles. Now as word comes that Betts met his assailants on a phone-sex chat line, this well-respected educator has been disgustingly reduced to a stereotype in death for partaking in completely legal activities in his private life.

I never met Brian Betts, But let's hope the hysteria surrounding his sensationalized demise calms down quickly and, with his alleged killers now charged with first-degree murder, justice can be served. A "gay panic" defense seems inevitable. And while a good number of commenters see this story for the tragedy that it is, enough are taking turns either blaming the victim ("must have been a pedophile!") or pointing the finger at "urban types" for their "casual, unrestricted reproduction," I already have grave concerns about this case going to trial.

The District needs to take a collective deep breath, and not lose sight of the thousands of students who loved and respected Brian Betts, the same children who on the school's door wrote words that said it all: "We Love You Mr. Betts It's Not the Same With Out You."

A sampling of the racist and homophobic comments on The Washington Post's Web site -- and this is WITH a "Report Abuse" option available to readers:

DwightCollins wrote: the reason there is an issue that he is gay is because he is a principla of a school with children ... add a few years to the age of the those children and thats who he contacted via the sex line who robbed and killed him...

redsky28 wrote: This is what you get when you spit kids out left and right - think that the govt is suppose to raise them.. for christ sake the mother of one of the kids was using the Principal's credit card.. they went shopping after they killed the guy.. They should all be given life and throw away the book. Scum.

blasmaic wrote: A homosexual who leads a middle school of black kids invites three black teens over to party one night. You say he's not a risk? I say he's not a newbie.

glovesetc wrote: Guess this is what happens when you go onlinelooking for "love". The guy was educated and good looking so why go on a chat line or the net/ Great educator and inspiration to all . The good news is 3 scumbags are going to be off the street for an awful long time. These people were not too smart although their mommas be screaming they were god fearing, church going, choir singing, and soon to be rhodes Scholars too. Yeah right.

toshiromifune wrote: What a way to leave this life ... implicated in an online network for sexual perversion. What a legacy to leave behind ... a professional life filled with accomplishment diminished by a private life of inexplicable vulgarity.

forgetthis wrote: The Post's readers can put him on a pedestal all they want (and I'm definitely not saying he deserved to die; this murder and everyone involved was despicable); however, I'm still a little worried that this person was around kids so much of the time.

AncientTerp wrote: Some might say this nasty affair is "The wages of sin is death."

roldan52 wrote: Evidently Mr. Betts had some skeltons in his closet. He should have come out of the closet. Talking on sex chat lines is a dangerous thing to do We teach our kids not to go on these chat rooms, He should not have to die, Lust is something you have to control, He was so good with kids it makes you wonder if he was lusting after his own students. These teenager should be locked up for life. And the mother who use the credit card should be locked up also for a long time,

Silly_Willy_Bulldog wrote: This is exactly why his sexual orientation should have been disclosed when it happened. He tried to hook up with someone the age of a high school student for sex. I do not care if people wanted to erect a high pedestal for him, but clearly he had asked for trouble when he arranged a sexual encounter with someone barely legal.