Bully Director Criticizes Romney's Bullying Apology: It 'Fell Short'

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Bully director Lee Hirsch told The Hollywood Reporter he had hoped Mitt Romney would've gone further in his apology over a high school-era bullying incident in which he held down a crying student and cut his hair. 'This could be a true presidential moment for Mitt Romney,' Hirsh observed. 'My hope is that he would recognize that we are past framing bullying as horse play or pranking around. We need our leaders to call it as it is. Part of that conversation is moving away from 'kids will be kids.''

RELATED: Mitt Romney Admits To Doing 'Dumb Things' Following Anti-Gay Prep School Prank Allegations

'This is an opportunity for Romney to really lead on this issue,' Hirsh added. 'His apology fell short of that. That's not to say he won't feel different after some soul searching. I would hope anyone standing for president would take the opportunity to set a clear example on this issue. We're looking to do away with language that minimizes bullying.'

Romney acknowledged that the reported situation had occurred in his youth, but denied he targeted a student for being gay. 'Back in high school, I did some dumb things & if anybody was hurt by that or offended, obviously I apologize,' Romney told The Washington Post. 'I participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks during high school and some might have gone too far and for that, I apologize. I certainly don't believe that I thought the fellow was homosexual,' he added. 'That was the furthest thing from our minds back in the 1960s.'

(h/t Hollywood Reporter)

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• the premise that romney's apology falls short presupposes that hijinks and pranks qualifies as bullying'

   

• Hirsch lost his opportunity for credibility by remaining silent about Dan Savage.

• Has this definitively been determined to have happened?  Last I heard, the main individual behind the article was not even there and the family knows nothing about it.

  Much like Elizabeth Warren's Native American ancestry, the moment someone shines a light on the actual facts, they become rather blurry.  This whole tings smells, just like the alleged 'affair' John McCain supposedly had that was announced in 2008.