US: Two men charged with disorderly conduct over assault of trans women
Two men have been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, in connection with the assault of two trans women on a train in Georgia.
Janell Crosby and Tyra Woods allege they were on their way to the station on Tuesday when they were pursued by a group of men, who followed them onto the train, before kicking them, beating them, and pulling their clothes off, while an onlooker filmed.
A video of the attack was posted on Flyvidz by an onlooker with the title “2 T******S GET INTO A FIGHT WITH 2 GUYS ON ATL MARTA!”, and has 2.8 million views to date.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) officials confirmed this weekend that two men had been arrested in connection with the attack.
Luther L. Thomas and Frederick L. Missick – both Atlanta residents – were arrested on Thursday on Friday respetively.
Both the men have been charged with disorderly conduct in connection with the incident, and both are currently being held on $2,500 (£1500) bonds.
MARTA spokesperson Lyle Harris told GA Voice that a harsher charge cannot be sought, because the victims have not given statements.
Crosby and Woods, who were stripped naked during the attack, reportedly left Atlanta following the incident.
Harris said: “The simple answer is we don’t have cooperating victims to file more serious assault charges and this is the best we can do, at least right now.”
He added that MARTA was planning to meet with LGBT groups “to affirm the agency’s staunch support for the principles of tolerance, inclusion and equal treatment under the law.”
The pair, who are being held at Fulton County Jail, have also been banned from MARTA for violating the ‘Ride With Resepct’ code of conduct.
