Gay man sues Delaware Attorney General and University of Delaware over alleged homophobia in his dropped domestic violence case
A gay man has sued Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the University of Delaware (Envato)
A gay man has sued Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the University of Delaware, alleging homophobia shaped how officials handled his domestic violence case after he says he was seriously assaulted by his then-partner.
Tymothy ‘Ty’ Moyer, 30, filed a federal lawsuit naming Jennings, a deputy attorney general and a state-employed victims advocate. Moyer alleges he was denied “equal protection” under the law when prosecutors declined to pursue charges after his former partner Michael Uzu, 33, was arrested on 3 February 2024.
In a statement shared with the Washington Blade, Moyer said: “Uzu attacked me,” adding: “He struck me repeatedly with his fists, with my own cell phone, and with a titanium lacrosse stick that he picked up from inside the apartment and used to strike me on the head.” Moyer alleges the assault caused a “permanent traumatic brain injury” and says it forced him to resign from his job at BlackRock.
Uzu denied Moyer’s allegations in an emailed statement to the Blade, saying: “He would get drunk and use drugs and pick up fights with me and apologize when he became normal,” and claiming Moyer attacked him first. Uzu also alleged Moyer caused “self-inflicted injury on himself and framed it on me.”
What Moyer alleges happened
Moyer says the alleged assault took place late on 2 February 2024 into the morning of 3 February, after he ended the relationship at his Wilmington apartment. He says Deputy Attorney General Claudia Debonte called him in September 2024 to tell him the prosecution was being dropped. Moyer’s lawsuit argues there was sufficient evidence to proceed, including a partial phone video he says shows Uzu wielding the lacrosse stick.
The lawsuit also names the University of Delaware, alleging it failed to sufficiently discipline Uzu despite an investigation finding he violated student conduct policy by engaging in domestic violence. Moyer alleges the university issued a deferred suspension until December 2025, allowing Uzu to continue his studies.
Judge recommends dismissal unless amended
In a statement quoted in LGBTQ Nation, Jennings’ spokesperson Matt Marshall said the state’s analysis included “the investigation’s finding that the Defendant had a credible claim of self-defence,” adding: “This kind of dynamic is fairly common in domestic violence cases, no less so in same-sex cases.” Marshall also said: “A case being unviable at trial does not mean a victim has not been harmed, that we don’t believe them, or even necessarily that a Defendant is innocent. It only means that criminal guilt could not be proven at trial.”
Moyer has also backed a Change.org petition about the case. LGBTQ Nation also reports a judge recommended dismissing the lawsuit without prejudice in August, giving Moyer 30 days to amend his complaint.
