A student at the University of North Carolina has been charged with filing a false report after saying he was the victim of a hate crime.
Quinn Matney, a 19-year-old freshman, allegedly claimed that a man shouted anti-gay abuse at him and branded his wrist, causing him to be treated in hospital for severe burns.
Police soon determined the wound to be self-inflicted and that Matney had made up the incident. He will appear in court next month.
Jeff DeLuca, the co-president of the university’s LGBT-straight alliance, said, “We want Quinn Matney to know I felt a great sense of support and hope for him in this room tonight. My first priority is making sure he knows that when the time is right for him to come back here, he will be welcomed with open arms.”
