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INDIANAPOLIS: Gay Man Dies in House Fire, "Foul Play Suspected"

Very disturbing news from Indianapolis. Arson and homicide investigators "suspect foul play"  after firefighters discovered a body while responding to a suspicious house fire. The deceased was later identified as a gay man and he leaves behind a young son, according to relatives.

Watch WISH-TV's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

The Indianapolis Star reports:

Police have identified the man found dead inside a Northeastside home that was on fire early this morning as 27-year-old Bryant Steele. While extinguishing the fire, they found the man inside the home lying in the living room area on a bed already dead. Police were called in to investigate the death. They suspect foul play, according to the police report.

WISH's report does not identify Steele as "gay". However, a family member told reporters that they believed he was killed "because of who he is." More details from WBIW:

Firefighters say they located Steele's body in a bed in the living room. That is when homicide detectives were called to the scene. Family members say Steele was openly gay and that they believe the fire may have been a hate crime. Police say they believe foul place was involved and the case is under investigation.

The fire was fairly extensive and police estimate "about $90,000 worth of damage" to the home. More news as this develops.

Watch WISH-TV's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

Bullied Gay Student Files Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Indy Schools

Indianapolis Public Schools has been named in a federal lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of Darnell "Dynasty" Young, the openly gay 17-year-old student who was relentlessly bullied and expelled after he brought a stun gun to school for protection. The lawsuit filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Kirkland & Ellis alleges IPS engaged in "discriminatory treatment and fail[ed] to protect" the bullied teen.

"Rather than address the constant harassment and abuse suffered by 17-year-old Dynasty Young," said NCLR's press release. "School administrators blamed the harassment on Young’s gender nonconforming clothes and 'flamboyant” behavior.'"

In addition to the physical and emotional harm he experienced as a result of the bullying and the discrimination, Dynasty was unable to complete the spring semester of his 11th-grade year at [Arsenal] Technical High School, and will need to make up any necessary credits to graduate on time in 2013. He has recently enrolled in Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, a charter school not affiliated with IPS, where he is taking extra classes in an effort to try graduate on schedule.

NCLR Senior Staff Attorney Christopher F. Stoll said, "It is outrageous that school officials who were entrusted with their students’ safety and education blamed Dynasty for the abuse he suffered, and eventually expelled him from school, instead of accepting their responsibility to protect him from harm."

"I want to make sure no other student in the Indianapolis Public Schools ever has to go through the kind of abuse that I went through," said Young. "I am hoping this will get IPS to start treating kids like me with respect and really do something to protect their students."

Young says classmates at Arsenal Technical HS relentlessly bullied him ever since he and his twin brother arrived in October from Arizona—taunting him, calling him names, following him home and even throwing rocks at him. On 16 April, Young eventually fired a stun gun into the air to scare off a group of six kids who used gay slurs and threatened to attack him. Young was suspended and remained out of school until his expulsion on 8 May.

Young and his mother said they told the school about the bullying "more than 10 times"—but the school only formally investigated one complaint. The stun gun was given to him by his mother, who says school authorities were not helpful and told Darnell to "tone down" his accessories and mannerisms. Young's mother is also a party to the lawuit.

IPS agreed to end Young's expulsion in early August—with a caveat. The school disrict would not allow him to remain at Tech and he would have to enroll at an alternative school, NCLR's  Chris Stoll told the Indianapolis Star.

In other news: Young was attacked at a local mall and struck in the face by a man twice his age in May. The attacker reportedly recognized Young from news coverage, pushed and struck him and used homophobic slurs. The 34-year-old man was charged with misdemeanor battery.

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Gay Indianapolis Student Expelled for Stun Gun is Attacked at Mall

More problems for Darnell Young—seen at left with his twin brother Darell—the openly gay Indianapolis high school student who was expelled for carrying a stun gun to scare away bullies. The 17-year-old boy was attacked at a local mall and struck in the face by a man twice his age, reports the Indianapolis Star.

According to court documents, [Khyran R. Delay, 34] told mall security officers that he recognized 17-year-old Darnell "Dynasty" Young from news coverage of his story and tried to talk to Young about it. He said Young got in his face and that he pushed Young.

Young and Donald Richardson, a janitor who witnessed the incident, told police that when Young walked past Delay’s table in the food court, Delay told Young to get away from him and used homophobic slurs. They said that Delay pushed Young and then hit him in the face, according to court documents. Richardson said he radioed for mall security, and then Delay came toward him because he was mad that Richardson had called security. Security officers arrived and detained Delay.

Delay has been charged with misdemeanor battery. He is being held at the the Marion County Jail pending a Wednesday bond hearing.

Young says classmates at Arsenal Technical HS relentlessly bullied him ever since he arrived in October from Arizona—taunting him, calling him names, following him home and even throwing rocks at him. On 16 April, Young eventually fired a stun gun into the air to scare off a group of six kids who used gay slurs and threatened to attack him. Young was suspended and remained out of school until his expulsion on 8 May.

Young and his mother said they told the school about the bullying "more than 10 times"—but the school only formally investigated one complaint. The stun gun was given to him by his mother, who says school authorities were not helpful and told Darnell to "tone down" his accessories and mannerisms. But she said she doesn’t regret her choice.

It takes a real big man to beat down a gay teenager that is half his age. Sure, it gets better—but when?

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Indianapolis HS Expels Bullied Gay Teen Who Carried Stun Gun

Very sad news to report from Indianapolis. Openly gay 17-year-old Darnell Young—seen at left with his twin brother Darell—has been expelled from Arsenal Tech High School after carrying a stun gun to scare away bullies, reports The Indianapolis Star.

Darnell "Dynasty" Young and his mother, Chelisa Grimes, found out late Monday that an independent arbitrator who presided over an expulsion hearing last Wednesday decided to expel him until Jan. 7, 2013. He cannot finish his junior year and he will miss the first semester of his senior year. "I couldn’t believe that they did it," Grimes said. "They really kicked him out."

Grimes and Young can appeal to the Indianapolis Public Schools school board and the courts if necessary, but Grimes said they're still weighing their options. Young said he plans to get his GED and go to college. ...

Young said he has been overwhelmed by the support he has received. Some of his supporters in Indianapolis are planning a rally before an IPS school board meeting May 15 to raise awareness about Young's case and to pressure the school board to take more steps to prevent bullying.

Young had been suspended since April 16. The openly gay student says classmates have relentlessly bullied him ever since he arrived in October from Arizona—taunting him, calling him names, following him home and even throwing rocks at him. Young eventually fired a stun gun into the air to scare off a group of six kids who used gay slurs and threatened to attack him on campus.

The stun gun was given to him by his mother, who says school authorities were not helpful and told Darnell to "tone down" his accessories and mannerisms. But she said she doesn’t regret her choice. "I’ll never regret protecting my child," Grimes told The Star last week.

Indianapolis Public School Board member Samantha Adair-White has called for an independent investigation into the case. But she said last week she's not sure if enough school board members will support her request.

Young and his mother said they told the school about the bullying "more than 10 times"—but the school only formally investigated one complaint. In addition to suggesting that Darnell should "tone down" his image. So much for a "zero tolerance" of bullying.

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There are new developments after last week's heartbreaking story of 17-year-old Darnell Young—seen at left with his twin brother Darell— the gay Indianapolis high school student who was relentlessly bullied and faces expulsion after using a stun gun his mother gave him to protect himself.

A member of the Indianapolis Public School Board wants an independent investigation of Young's case and the bullying that he experienced, reports The Indianapolis Star.

Samantha Adair-White said she doesn't trust the district to do a fair investigation, and she wants to know how big a problem bullying is. "Everybody in the community should be livid about this," she said. "This is serious."

IPS Superintendent Eugene White denied her request for an investigation in an email that Adair-White provided to The Indianapolis Star, but the district did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Adair-White still could get an investigation if a majority of the seven-member board approves it. She said she doubts she'll get enough votes to proceed but said she thought it was important to request the investigation because of the seriousness of what happened.

Young has been suspended from Arsenal Technical HS since April 16. The openly gay student say classmates taunted him, called him names, followed him home and even threw rocks at him. Young eventually fired a stun gun into the air to scare off a group of six kids who used gay slurs and threatened to attack him on campus.

The stun gun was given to him by his mother, who says school authorities were not helpful and told Darnell to "tone down" his accessories and mannerisms.

Young's expulsion hearing was held on Wednesday and a decision is expected within days. Darnell Young's mother is not optimistic.

Chelisa Grimes said ... the independent arbitrator who presided over the meeting didn’t want to hear about the bullying. The arbitrator only wanted to talk about the fact that he brought the stun gun onto school property and fired it into the air to scare away six students who threatened to beat him up, she said. Without the back-story, she said, she thinks the arbitrator will expel him.

But she said she doesn’t regret her choice, even though her son might be punished. "I’ll never regret protecting my child," she said during an interview with The Star and “Good Morning America.

Just heartbreaking on so many levels. Numerous studies have shown that Black LGBT youth are more likely to be victims of harassment and violence—and least likely to receive services.

A decision is expected by Wednesday.

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This story is heartbreaking. A gay Indianapolis high school student who was relentlessly bullied has been suspended and faces expulsion after using a stun his mother gave him to protect himself. Darnell Young—seen at left with his twin brother Darell—says the bullies taunted him, called him names, followed him home and even threw rocks at him.

Watch the emotional interview AFTER THE JUMP ...

The 17-year-old has been openly gay since his freshman year. The problems began soon after Darnell transferred to Arsenal Technical HS from Arizona in October, reports the Indianapolis Star.

When he arrived at the school, his new classmates were more confrontational. His outgoing personality and unique accessories made him stand out from the other students. Even some of the other gay students were unfriendly, he said. "All day I'd be on my guard," he said. "It never got better. It always got worse."

Darnell broke down in tears when a rumor circulated that he performed sex acts in the bathrooms. He said he thought about committing suicide.

To add insult to injury: School administrators suggested Darnell "tone down" his image.

Young and his mother said they told the school about the bullying more than 10 times, but Young said Tech did not formally investigate their complaints except for once when a student who taunted him during class was taken to the dean's office and punished.

[Young's mother] said she called the school about students following Young home from the bus stop, but school officials said they could not do anything since the students were not on school property. When she complained other times, they brought up his sexuality. Larry Yarrell, the Tech principal, said school staff were trying to help Young by suggesting that he "tone down" his accessories.

Stun guns deliver an electric shock that temporarily incapacitates. They are not illegal in Indiana but are prohibited on school property. Darnell Young's mother says she feared for his safety and gave him the small stun gun as a last resort. Her son says he carried the weapon in his knapsack for several weeks ... until he was surrounded by a crowd of bullies and fired the weapon into the air.

This is heartbreaking on so many levels. What would you do? What would you want your child to do?

Watch the emotional interview AFTER THE JUMP ...

SPORNO: Dan Herron and Davin Meggett Muscle Up at NFL Combine

PHOTOS: AP, NFL

For those who enjoy their beef on the "thicker" side: Maryland running back Davin Meggett ...

And Ohio State RB Daniel Herron were in prime condition at the Under Armour-sponsored, sporno-rific NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend.

A flash at Herron's assets AFTER THE JUMP ...

SPORNO: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III is the Fastest at NFL Combine

PHOTOS: AP, Getty

It's that time of year again. The number one stunner at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine is undoubtedly Robert Griffin III. The Baylor University quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner ran the fastest 40-yard dash by a quarterback with an official time of 4.41.

The 6'2 and 230lb Griffin is expected to be one of the "top four" NFL draft picks, reports the NFL Blog. Definitely appears to be on "top" of his game. A few more photos of Griffin from the Under Armour-sponsored, sporno-rific  annual job fair AFTER THE JUMP ...

Indiana GOP Rep. Hinkle's Teen "Sugar Baby" Makes His Porn Debut

Remember Kameryn Gibson, the 18 year old Indianapolis Craigslist escort who infamously hooked up with "sugar daddy" Indiana House Republican Phillip Hinkle? The same anti-gay conservative who "forced the state to offer an 'In God We Trust' license plate" but offered the teen a bonus for a "really good time"?

Gibson has just made his porn debut as "DeJuan Diamond" (very NSFW) for Miami-based Flavaworks. The press release is priceless:

It is no secret that many Republicans are closeted homosexuals, while at the same time preaching anti-gay messages and protesting gay marriage. Now with DeJuan Diamond starring online on sites like CocoDorm.com and ThugBoy.com, Republicans will be able to enjoy the men they love right from the comfort of their home or offices. No more will Republicans have to endure the outrage and embarrassment when they get caught in public, just tune in to Flava Works instead. DeJuan has several videos and photos available for offline viewing, should any closeted Republicans not have internet access while on the road.

The Hinkle scandal came to light in August after emails between Gibson and Hinkle were provided to newspapers. Hinkle reportedly met Gibson in an Indianapolis hotel room after responding to a Craiglist ad looking for a “sugar daddy." The conservative lawmaker "exposed himself to the young man and then later gave him an iPad, BlackBerry cellphone and $100 cash to keep quiet," reports the Indianapolis Star.

"Hinkle is married to a woman and has children. He recently voted in favor of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. According to VoteSmart.org, he also supports a long list of Christianist political goals," adds JoeMyGod. Hinkle's wife reportedly offered the teen cash to keep quiet.

The Republican lawmaker claims that he and the teen "only talked about baseball" and has resisted calls for his resignation.

SPORNO: NBA Star Dahntay Jones Strips Down for Charity

In today's muscled-n-tatted baller hotness: Indiana Pacers guard Dahntay Jones strips down for charity.

The editorial lensed by  fashion abd beefcake photographer Gabriel Antoine was for the Dahntay Jones Foundation. Proceeds will benefit after-school programs for youth, reports YBF.

If abs and hairy, muscular forearms are your thing, one more AFTER THE JUMP ...