The Columbus City Attorney's office reached a plea deal with The Ohio State University student accused of urinating on a Weinland Park resident's LGBTQ pride flag.
Trey Fetzer, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal trespassing. He was caught on surveillance cameras vandalizing the pride flag in February and shouting homophobic remarks.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein's office said in a press release the victims asked for no jail time for Fetzer. Instead, they wanted prosecutors to offer an opportunity for restorative justice.
“As City Attorney, I’ve drawn a line in the sand on hate, instructing my office to work with victims on the most appropriate outcomes in these cases,” Klein said. “In this case, victims came forward with a call for no jail time and an opportunity for restorative justice, and after consulting with them and defense counsel at every step in this process, city prosecutors offered a rigorous mitigation plan that balances criminal accountability with victim-centered justice."
Fetzer was ordered by a judge to pay $250 in fines and be placed on parole for one year.
The deal reduces multiple charges, including one for a hate crime, to the lesser offense. Fetzer was also given the chance at alternative forms of justice.
Fetzer volunteered for Stonewall Cincinnati at the city's pride festival and attended lectures and classes with Stonewall Columbus. He was also reinstated at OSU after meeting additional requirements by the university.
Raven Shank, one of the victims, said in a statement Fetzer chipped away at their sense of safety, and needs to be held accountable for doing so.
"We think it’s important for both the Court and the defendant to understand the impact this crime has had on us. While the overt act itself was merely gross and crude, the larger impact has been on our sense of safety and well-being," Shank said. "We know that being openly and proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community comes with tradeoffs. On one hand, we get to authentically live our lives and celebrate our culture in a way that brings us joy with our community. On the other hand, it opens us up to harassment and potentially violence by those who don’t think we should have a public life that includes those aspects of ourselves."
Shank said that Fetzer may not have considered the impact the offense had, but LGBTQ people were all affected by his actions just the same.
“We live here in Columbus, because it’s generally a safer and more welcoming place for us. Some of us moved here from other parts of Ohio specifically for that reason. Mr. Fetzer chipped away at that sense of safety, and needs to be held accountable for doing so," Shank said.
