This weekend Twitter exploded with the video clip of Georgia TV reporter Alex Bozarjian getting groped while reporting on a 10K race. This disgusting action was caught on camera and while the identity of the man has been determined, it doesn’t replace the fact that not only did this happen, but it happened for the whole world to see.
Check out this jerk smacking a @WSAV reporter’s ass live on air. And sorry, that’s my kiddo making horribly timed weird noises in the background. pic.twitter.com/6tzi6P1Jbo
— Tonya (@GrrrlZilla) December 7, 2019
To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better. https://t.co/PRLXkBY5hn
— Alex Bozarjian (@wsavalexb) December 7, 2019
I had avoided watching the full clip for a long time because I knew it would make me furious and boy did it ever. It’s multiple things—the utter gall of him to do it, doing it to someone who he sees has a camera right in front of her (and is in the middle of doing her job), the look of horror as Bozarjian realizes what he did, and then the way she tries to quickly get back to work. Within those few seconds, you see the kind of stuff that femme bodies have to deal with all the damn time.
Bozarjian has spoken out about this. “It’s not OK to help yourself to a woman’s body just because you feel like it,” she told CBS. “It’s not playful. He hurt me both physically and emotionally.” She also said that the man’s actions made her feel “extremely vulnerable.”
A reporter is sharing her story after she says she was assaulted during a live TV report. @WSAVAlexB was covering a fun run for her station when a man moved behind her and appeared to slap her on the backside.
She joins us now only on @CBSThisMorning. pic.twitter.com/GX9FgPLanK
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) December 10, 2019
Bozarjian said that a police report has been filed, but she hasn’t pressed charges against the man in the clip. She mentions that she’s not at liberty to discuss those details yet, but she hopes that “that police can do their job — kind of leaving it in their hands at this point.”
The man has been identified as a Statesboro resident and former church volunteer Tommy Callaway.
According to the New York Daily News Callaway “previously volunteered at the Pittman Park United Methodist Church in Statesboro.” Wendy Doty, a secretary with the church, said that he has “stepped back” from that role because of the scandal. Yeah, that’s the very freakin’ least he can do.
“We are quite disappointed,” Doty told the Daily News that. “His actions do not, in any way, represent the values of our congregation.”
While I am hoping that Bozarjian can get the justice she deserves, it also sucks that this incident has put her into the national attention. As for Tommy Callaway, while I’m sure the public shaming has been a lot, I hope you do feel shame for doing what you did. He knew what he was doing and you can tell from the video he thought it was funny. I doubt he’s laughing right now.
(via NY Daily News, image: Screenshot)
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