University of Toledo DJ resigns position after outrage over Twitter post

3/21/2013

A disc jockey for a University of Toledo-affiliated radio station who came under a torrent of criticism this week for a Twitter message about the Steubenville rape case has resigned his volunteer DJ position.

Jimmy Momenee, 25, said in a written statement sent to The Blade today that he has voluntarily left his Monday night radio slot at 88.3 FM WXUT, a UT student-run station. Mr. Momenee, a UT graduate, had received hundreds of angry Twitter messages for comments he made on Twitter about the high-profile rape convictions on Sunday of two Steubenville high school football players.

"Disgusting outcome on #Steubenville trial. Remember kids, if you’re drunk/slutty at a party, and embarrassed later, just say you got raped!” he wrote Sunday.

Mr. Momenee followed up that tweet with several others about the case and briefly debated Twitter users about his statements, before largely shutting down his social media presence. On Wednesday, Mr. Momenee wrote that he wanted to "deeply apologize from the bottom of my heart for my insensitive, sarcastic tweet."

"Know that I am truthfully sorry for the stupidity of my tweet. I never meant to hurt anyone. Believe that," he wrote.

He said he had used poor judgment, and that he did not blame the victim in the case, advocate for rape, wish harm on the victim, or thought she deserved to be raped. The tweet does not represent his character, he said. Many of the responses to his tweet have misconstrued what he said, he wrote.

"I can guarantee you that what is being said about me simply stems from the wrongful interpretations from others, and does not at all reflect my opinion, intent, or beliefs," he wrote.

He said his comment was a personal tweet, and that he has had little contact with the university or radio station since graduating. He wrote he viewed his radio show as a hobby.

Mr. Momenee asked for privacy, and that people stop contacting him, his family, WXUT, and the university. He said he's received death threats and "ill wishes" against loved ones.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com, or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.