The Paper Trail

Princeton Student Fakes Attack for Publicity

December 18, 2007 RSS Feed Print

Winning the prize for "Worst Thing to Do With an Orangina Bottle" is a Princeton student who faked an attack on himself in order to draw attention to his "pro-chastity" cause. The Daily Princetonian writes that the man, who expressed remorse for his actions' effects in his interview with the paper, also sent fake E-mail threats to a noted conservative politics professor and fellow members of the Anscombe Society, a student group "dedicated to affirming the importance of the family, marriage, and a proper understanding for the role of sex and sexuality."

The student's story unraveled after Princeton police confronted him with inconsistencies in his account of the alleged attack, and he later confessed to the threatening messages and self-inflicted injuries. As described by Anscombe's president: "He said he pummeled his face; he didn't say what with. He scraped his head against a brick wall [and] broke the bottle...over his head."

The confession has been called "shocking" and a "real tragedy"—not to mention "pathetic." Meanwhile, the outed student awaits disciplinary action.

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Princeton

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Sounds like Sarah Marshak, the Jewish student at George Washington University, who was caught last month painting swastikas on dorm doors to prove anti-Semitism on campus.

Aquinas Looney of NC 2:18PM December 30, 2007

May I ask a question? How much more stupid can somebody get? You know what? Let me take that back. He did get the publicity he wanted.

Margaret Ellis of VA 7:23PM December 19, 2007

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