Assailants, Nightclub Owner Sued for Death of Hate Crime Victim

A Boston family recently filed a wrongful-death suit against the assailants who brutally beat a 37-year-old man at a former Gloucester tavern in 2009 and the tavern’s owner. CBS Boston reported that the victim, Justin Goodwin, was attacked by a group of men who yelled anti-gay slurs and beat him unconscious at the tavern. The beating was so severe Goodwin needed facial reconstructive surgery and months of mental and physical recovery.

His attackers were since sentenced to jail, but his family said Goodwin was never the same after the vicious attack. They said Goodwin became a shut-in, afraid to go out and being ashamed of his appearance after the attack. He had nightmares that kept him in therapy, according to his sister. In March 2010, he committed suicide. Goodwin had filed a civil rights suit prior to his untimely death, but his attorneys are now focused on the wrongful death suit against his assailants and the tavern owner.

The attorney representing the family is determined to see justice served. No one should be denied the right to go where they please, regardless of sexual orientation. Attorneys representing the tavern owner feels there insufficient evidence to link Goodwin’s death to the attack. A hearing to determine if a trial is warranted to scheduled for late November 2011.

Hate crimes toward any person or group of people because of their sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, color, or any other reason is a criminal offense in all 50 states. If you feel you’re being targeted or are a victim of a hate crime, report it immediately to the police.