What Happened?

In May 2012, my 33 year old son, Alex was assaulted in the process of aiding a law school classmate. By all accounts, his survival and recovery are miraculous. I have been told that our experiences can help others – Thus this ongoing narrative per my notes while he was hospitalized and since then.

Circumstances That Led to the Incident

The following is per phone and text records, eyewitnesses, information offered by those close to the parties involved:

On the evening of May, 19, 2012, Ebony Monet Thompson, at the time a student at the University Of Baltimore School Of Law and a classmate of Alex, sent him a series of text messages asking him to join her and her companions at Power Plant Live! Entertainment District in Baltimore on the pretext of celebrating the last final exam of their second year at law school.

Those text messages suggest that at first Alex was reluctant to join Ebony Thomson and her friends. In one he shared that he had just returned from work and is tired. In another message he indicated that he was still wearing the same clothes that he had worn to work earlier that day and was reluctant to change to go out. Nevertheless, Ebony Thomson pursued the subject. In one message, she stated that “the ladies are waiting for you.”

Publically, Ebony Thompson tends to put up a reserved façade but in her circle, she is reputed to be a hard-drinking party girl who goes wild when drunk. According to those who saw her out and about that night, Ebony who had started celebrating early in the day was quite inebriated by then.

Ebony had previously approached Alex about donating his sperm. Maryland is lax about lesbian adoptions and Baltimore is home to several sperm banks and fertility clinics; however, the process is not only costly but also a genetic roulette with an unknown donor. So from the perspective of someone like Ebony Thompson, who better than a healthy, handsome, intelligent, successful, and emotionally stable man like my son to father her child?

Ebony Thompson’s companions that evening included her then girlfriend (reportedly, the two broke up shortly after that night) and one of her former girlfriends who was visiting from New York.

My son had dismissed Ebony Thompson’s proposition that he donates his sperm; nevertheless, in light of the group’s makeup, several people have since posited that Ebony’s insistence that that my son joins them then was toward manipulating the situation to that advantage.

Alex called a couple of hours before he was injured. He planned to spend the evening at Courtney rose Colonese’s apartment in Baltimore. I had met Courtney Colonese during the moot court competition in D.C. a few months earlier. She was exactly as he had described her. To quote him, “Courtney is dumb and she knows it.” In a nutshell, Courtney Colonese is a typical “cling-on” too stupid to be of consequence in any context.

At the time of the incident, his relationship with Courtney Colonese was on its last leg. Still, her apartment was a draw not only because of its proximity to the University but also because it was at a convenient walking distance of the firm he worked at.

A few days before the incident, Courtney Colonese threw a temper tantrum over sticky filing tabs as a ruse to get him to end our Mother’s Day celebration. He was amused when she called to ask him to pick up tabs from Staples for her. She told him that she “will fail [her] exam if [she does] not get them immediately” to mark her textbook with.

Alex was clearly annoyed when talking with her and muted the phone to point out that she is too stupid to come up with anything better to drag him to her apartment. We joked about arranging with FedEx to deliver a package of tabs to her or wiring a couple of bucks and directions to an office supply store so that she can buy them herself!

On that Mother’s Day, he made breakfast and presented me with flowers, balloons, and a card in which he wrote, “You are my #1 girl! I love you always.” We had decided to postpone our formal outdoor Mother’s Day activities to the next weekend. Instead, we stayed in and had an abbreviated celebration because he had to study for his final exams and I was a bit under the weather. He picked up an elaborate takeout lunch from Bonefish Grill and a couple of steaks to grill for dinner. He was assaulted on the next Friday a few feet from the entrance to Courtney Colonese’s apartment building.

Alex had gone to Courtney Colonese’s apartment after work earlier that Friday evening. He was still there at about 10:30 p.m. when he called to say that he planned to spend the night at Courtney’s, then stop by his office to drop off some papers on the next morning before meeting me to resume our Mother’s Day celebration.

Ebony Thompson’s text pleas that he joins her and her friends were transmitted around that time. He met them about an hour later at Power Plant Live, a converted electrical power plant which houses a number of retail stores, restaurants, neon-laden entertainment stages, and night clubs.

By then Ebony Thompson and her girlfriends had picked up a couple of men. (Based on the pictures of the group dancing, drinking, and mingling that night, some have suggested that one of those individuals may be a female transgender.)

The group spent a couple of hours at various Power Plant Live venues before Courtney Colonese who was at another party across town arrived at her locked apartment and proceeded to text-bomb my son with profane messages. In a message, he promised her to deliver the key and the group was driven by a clearly intoxicated Ebony Thompson to Courtney’s apartment building which is adjacent to Aloha Sushi Restaurant in the Mount Vernon section of Baltimore. She parked the car in front of the building.

Aloha is a favorite of the University of Baltimore crowd because it is open until late. It is appealing not only because of its late night fare but also because of its lax policies. Locals know that anything goes at Aloha and that besides serving drinks for consumption offsite as well as on premises, its employees are capable of procuring one’s drug of choice at wee hours.

Upon arriving at Courtney’s apartment building, Alex took an irate Courtney who had been waiting for him up to her apartment and went back down to bid farewell to Ebony Thompson and her friends. As they stood on the sidewalk in front of Aloha, per eyewitnesses, a passerby became upset at Ebony Thompson and pushed her.

Those who know her, including Katherine Ann Dorian, one of Ebony’s cohorts about whom there is much more to say, have shared that Ebony Thompson tends to become outlandishly loud and boisterous when drunk and that it wouldn’t be inconceivable that she actually instigated the incident by insulting the man.

The First Punch!

When Alex attempted to diffuse the situation and protect Ebony Thompson, the “gentleman” proceeded to punch him. Ebony and her friends insisted that he get into her car; however, he was too tired and wished to return upstairs to Courtney’s apartment. Moreover, he was concerned not only because Ebony Thompson was too intoxicated to drive safely but also because he had left his wallet at Courtney’s apartment.

(Note: the above has been reported by several impartial eyewitnesses. Ebony Thompson has had multiple opportunities to share her version of what transpired between her and the gentleman that prompt him to push her. Instead, as early as when EMTs were still performing lifesaving measures on Alex who was out cold on that pavement, Ebony Thompson recruited another classmate, Katherine Ann Dorian, who at a time was a clerk at Baltimore City State Attorney’s Office and claimed to be having a special relationship with her boss to do her bidding.)

Not only Ms. Thompson evaded my questions from the start but also in collaboration with Ms. Dorian, whitewashed the facts, and went as far as attempting to tarnish Alex’s reputation in order to absolve herself of culpability for being careless.

Accounts of how Ms. Dorian interjected herself and some of my observations are being shared separately. Ms. Dorian has also had several opportunities to set the record straight but instead, has continued to hang on Ebony Thompson’s coattail and promote her agenda.)

Several people have suggested that it is convenient that the “official” version of the video from a camera across the street which was shared with Alex during an elaborate production by State’s Attorneys for Baltimore City does not show Ms. Thompson’s initial interaction with “the gentleman” and his subsequent reaction to what she said or did to provoke him. It begins after the first punch and shows several people huddled around Alex in the sidewalk in front of Aloha Sushi Restaurant by a car.

In light of the inordinate delay before Alex was given the opportunity to see it and the elaborate production distractions by State’s Attorneys for Baltimore City when he finally saw, some have suggested that it may have been “sanitized” for public consumption. More on this later.

The Second Punch!

Per the video, the car faces Charles Street. As someone holds the assailant back, although inaudible, per the state’s attorneys – presumably as relayed to them by Ms. Thompson, Alex is being urged to get into the car. He gets in and three other people follow. Alex gets in through the rear driver side door and Ebony Thompson gets in the driver seat.

(Thus Ebony Thompson’s first misrepresentation! When asked point blank about who was driving the car, she stated that one of her friends was and that she was in the back seat sitting next to Alex.)

A few seconds later, Alex opens the rare passenger side door and steps out. In effect, he went in through one door and came out from another. Driven by Ebony Thompson, the car proceeds through the intersection without him. Alex drops something (perhaps his phone) as is crossing the street to get to Courtney’s apartment. When he backtracks and bends to pick it up, the assailant catches up, throws yet another punch, knocking Alex off his feet and onto the ground.

Some people rush to Alex’s side. Ebony Thompson who by then has apparently parked the car and dismounted (away from the camera) wails as she approaches the crowd who is huddled around an unconscious Alex.

In the video’s final frame, a couple of people try to control the assailant who is apparently very high on drugs. He continues to maintain a boxing stance and is ready to throw jabs while attempting to break free to get closer to Alex’s motionless body.

Reportedly, several people called 911. A police officer and an Ambulance came shortly after. It was then that Ms. Thompson’s campaign to absolve herself of culpability for her role in antagonizing “the gentleman” as well as drunk driving before and after the incident started.

Ebony Thompson’s Attempt to Absolve Herself

To qualify to practice law in Maryland, one must survive rigorous scrutiny of their character and [ethical] fitness by the State Board of Law Examiners’ Character Committee. Law students are cautioned against improper conduct such as public drunkenness, and any other activity that may raise questions about their character and ability to make sound decisions.

Ebony Thompson who per several accounts is no stranger to crying wolf, throwing others under the bus, and tinkering with the system knew very well that any hint of impropriety will adversely affect her application for the Bar.

So first, as indicated in the responding officer’s notes, she purported that Alex was “drunk” and had “jumped out of the car.” Ebony Thompson’s alternative was to account for how she had engaged “the gentleman” earlier as well as to admit that she had been driving while intoxicated before and after the incident.

Drivers owe their passengers a duty of care to exercise a reasonable standard of safety. This includes the imperative of keeping track of their passengers. In essence, by claiming that Alex was drunk and had jumped out of the car, Ebony Thompson attempted to cover-up her own role and absolve herself of negligence.

Ebony Thompson had started drinking long before Alex met up with her, her girlfriends, and the men they had picked up for the last couple of hours of that evening, and per the video, no “jumping” took place. Alex went in through one door and walked out of the other.

It may not have changed the outcome but in all likelihood, a more conscientious – and sober - driver under the same circumstance would not have continued driving as her passenger was getting out of her car!

Second, per Ebony Thompson’s own account, as the paramedics were still working on Alex she called both Courtney Colonese and Katherine Ann Dorian. Since Alex was in a relationship albeit waning with Courtney Colonese, the fact that Ms. Thompson notified her can be assumed reasonable; however, neither Ms. Thompson nor Ms. Dorian have been able to satisfactorily justify why Ms. Thompson also called Katherine Dorian or what motivated Ms. Dorian to rush to the hospital immediately.

Katherine Dorian was absolutely irrelevant! Of course, in an attempt to justify her presence, she painted her relationship with Alex prior to the incident as if it was the model for the greatest love story ever written. More on this later!

For now, suffice it that Ebony Thompson has evaded explaining why she called Katie Dorian and Kathie Dorian herself has offered several conflicting accounts of why Ms. Thompson contacted Ms. Dorian that evening and why she spent so much time at the hospital clearly “managing” me.

Third, Ebony Thompson loaded the car with her girlfriends, Courtney Colonese, and Yanteh, Aloha Sushi Restaurant’s doorman and followed the ambulance.

Perhaps based on Ebony Thompson’s presentation that Alex was in a drunken stupor as he laid on the cement or due to his own ineptitude, reportedly, the responding officer dismissed the gravity of Alex’s condition and said something to the effect of, “he’ll be released from the hospital in the morning.”

Thankfully, the responding EMTs discerned the urgency of rushing him to the emergency room and the odd entourage headed by Ebony Thompson followed.

By when he arrived at the hospital, Alex was responsive and communicating with the medical staff as they evaluated his condition.

The “Unholy” Alliance

Meanwhile at the hospital, it seems that the Ebony Thompson, et al. group in consort with Katie Dorian were trying very hard to break into Alex’s phone. In fact, they were so determined that they had recruited Charles Andrew Guiliano to rush a compatible charger to them at the hospital.

When I got to the hospital, either Courtney Colonese, or Katie Dorian, or Ebony Thompson - I don’t remember which one - lamented over the difficulties that had encountered when attempting to break into Alex’s cell phone. They said they had procured the charger to help them unlock it in order to find my contact information; however, there was absolutely no need for all of that!

My information was readily available to them because even in a locked state his cellphone provided my name and number as his emergency contact. Several people have asked whether it is possible that they were actually interested in something else? For example, the pictures Alex had taken of an obviously disheveled and inebriated Ebony Thompson and/or transcripts of the text messages he had exchanged with her earlier that evening?

Suffice it that other than three hang up calls from one of Ebony Thompson’s girlfriends, it does not appear that anyone was interested in finding me or anyone else. About this also, I have been told that they might have opted to wait. Your condition was already critical. Things could have gone either way and your demise would have provided a definitive conclusion to their dilemma!

The fact that Ebony Thompson’s girlfriend, Nicole Williams, had successfully dialed my number established that Ebony Thompson and Katie Dorian were colluding!

The “Miscreants”!

In general, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits hospitals refrain from sharing medical information without explicit permission. In particular, within 48 hours of my encounter with them, the hospital’s staff was cautioned against divulging information to Ebony Thomson, Katie Dorian, Courtney Colonese specifically. Chuck Guiliano was added to that list upon his “official” inclusion into the mix. (He had been there once before - On the first day to deliver a charger and help them break into Alex’s phone but was brought back officially a week later as a fixture.)

Many patients develop “hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP)” within days of their hospital admissions. Contrary to their reports of Alex’s doom and gloom and the assortment of ailments which Ebony Thompson, Katie Dorian, Courtney Colonese, and Chuck Guiliano attributed to him and disseminated from the start, Alex would have left the hospital much earlier were it not for a bad case of pneumonia that extended his stay.

None of these individuals was privy to the particulars of Alex’s treatment and recovery yet presumed to discuss his case authoritatively with whoever would listened including school officials, security guards, classmates, et al.

Conceivably, each had a reason for distorting Alex’s condition and portraying it as dire, By perpetuating the notion that Alex is so far gone to recall things, Ebony Thompson wished to deflect attention from her own culpability, Katie Dorian sheepishly promoted Ebony Thompson’s cause, Chuck Guiliano chased after Katie Dorian’s skirt, and Courtney Colonese solicited sympathy to console her own “grieving widow” persona.

Essentially, beyond the first week or so, the primary focus was on treating the pneumonia. Since that required him to stay in bed for so long, he lost a lot of weight. Consequently, he was very weak and tired easily for a while after leaving the hospital. Fortunately, his muscles responded to physical therapy rapidly and he regained his optimal weight and strength within months.

Even without my request, the staff were frustrated by Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese’s tendency to move around the room, disturb the processes, and ask impertinent questions.

At first, it came across as Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese’s inadvertent inability to discern that the doctors and nurses should be undisturbed in order to attend to what they had to do without interruption. After several requests that they stand aside, reiterations, and further explanations, it became clear that they did so intentionally to distract the medical staff.

For example, oblivious to the need to stay out of the nurse’s way, either or both moved forward immediately when a nurse crossed the room to check on a report or adjust a gauge on a machine as if to block his or her way back to Alex’s bed. In turn, the conscientious nurse whose movements are finely tuned to accommodate his or her patient’s specific case, had to stop mid-way, and either excuse herself and wait until they repositioned themselves or change her path. Of course, all of that took split seconds but no one can be so stupid to not consider that a nurse who steps away from a critical patient’s bed is likely to be returning immediately.

Similarly, Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese engaged doctors and nurses with frivolous questions such as the exact functioning of a particular machine when the doctor and/or nurse was busy with something else. Moreover, they interrupted with irrelevant comments and questions as the doctors and nurses collaborated.

Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese also dubbed one of the doctors, “McDreamy,” and in particular, Katie Dorian, made passes and directed embarrassing gestures and lewd body language at him as of the first day. (The term “McDreamy” was in reference to Patrick Dempsey’s neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd character on Grey's Anatomy.)

An ethnic tale hails someone who laments excessively and artificially at another’s misfortune, “a nanny who is more fervent than the mother” or “a bowl that is hotter than the soup it contains” and so was the case of these individuals.

Katie Dorian played the lovelorn siren, interposing on the doctors and nurses and insisting to “sing” privately to Alex every night. Courtney Colonese played the lamented Italian widow who either sat motionless by Alex’s bed or knitted or beaded incessantly. Chuck Guiliano played the dutiful best friend who sheepishly came and went with the latter as if watching over his incapacitated buddy’s “women.”

Finally, despite my repeated cautions against adopting an adversarial tone, Katie Dorian appeared combative whenever she addressed the nurses and doctors.

Frankly, I found it surreal that someone actually had to explain such a rudimentary concept as the merits of maintaining decorum when visiting someone who is in critical condition and the need to respect the hospital’s staff as they did their job to Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese.

It was my first serious talk with Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese. They say eyes are the windows to the soul. As I looked directly into those two sets of what appeared like wells of oblivion, I saw no indication of comprehension, much less, compassion. It was then that my respect for the University of Baltimore School of Law plummeted. “How could these idiots be graduating law school in a year?” “How can this misfit, Katie Dorian, be the Law Journal’s chief editor?”

Nurses of the caliber of those who attended to Alex are trained to exercise precise acuity and master much bigger obstacles than anything Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese threw at them. So despite whatever Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese hoped to accomplish with their unruly and disrespectful conduct, Alex’s care and recovery was not being affected; nevertheless, the duo’s presence was a nuisance.

My Reasons for Putting up with Katie Dorian, Courtney Colonese, and Charles Guiliano

Alex’s hospital record includes several e-mails by nurses who actively lobbied to ban Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese from visiting him. As I had shared with the hospital staff, I too was not relishing having those individuals around and was merely keeping them close and occupied while the police did its job.

I empathized with the nurses and assured the hospital that although I did not want to voice my distaste for Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese overtly because I suspected that they were up to no good, the quality of care Alex received was paramount and I would abide by any decision it makes. Ultimately, in response to the nurses’ e-mails, their supervisors spoke with both Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese and advised them to tone down their behavior and be respectful or risk losing their visitor privileges.

Of course, it took a few days before the two were up to their old antics and required yet another reminder.

The wonderful and gracious doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff notwithstanding, I was surrounded by idiots! A few days into Alex’s hospitalization, I lacked amusement of the intellectual variety and since Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese were clearly playing me, I figured it “game” to adopt them, and later, Charles Guiliano, as my toys for some entertainment! That game was afoot as of the end of the first week and its name was “Let’s see how far I can push until I detect a cringe!” Among other things, this included asking them for simple things at intervals and watching them squirm to get out of doing it! Until I began spending time with those two, I had tremendous respect for the University of Baltimore’s School of Law and thought highly of its admission criteria. So the first test was just how well they fared as law students.

Around that time, I was contracted to develop a couple of courses. That point in the process necessitated arriving at lectures that correspond with each course’s textbook. Unbeknownst to Katie Dorian and Courtney Colonese, I subcontracted that task the day after Alex was hospitalized because I knew I could not do it justice; nevertheless, I harped over its tediousness at every opportunity to get either or both of them to offer to help. Katie Dorian took the bait and wrote a couple of pages. Alas, her writing could not be construed as the product of editorial skill - more so the prowess of a law journal’s chief editor - by any stretch of the imagination!

Despite her bland personality, or perhaps because of it, Courtney Colonese amused everyone just by being there! The waiting area is directly below the hospitals’ medevac helicopter landing pad and among her most amusing tendencies was her rush to stop mid-sentence and rush to the window whenever a helicopter approached or took off. For those few minutes, she stood motionless by the window – It conjured the image of a dog sitting on the windowsill, sticking her nose to the window and panting while watching cars go by.

Katie Dorian who is clearly bitter at everyone except those with whom she sleeps or wishes to sleep (like Ebony Thomspon, her boss and Alex,) directed an assortment of derogatory jokes and insults at Courtney Colonese - at times overtly but often, covertly.

In particular, Katie Dorian was adamant about bringing Courtney Colonese’s shortcomings to my attention. I already knew that Courtney Colonese was not the sharpest pickle in the jar but Katie Dorian made it her mission to highlight her flaws whenever she failed to carry a conversation through or dressed provocatively.

Courtney Colonese in turn provided Katie Dorian with ample material to work with. For example, as a law clerk at that time, she was involved in an accused murder’s defense and visited him regularly in jail. Often, she came to the hospital immediately after work in high heels, body-hugging mini dresses, and short skirts with half-unbuttoned clinging tops.

I found it a pity that Courtney Colonese failed to observe proper decorum – particularly when visiting prisoners but regardless of how distasteful to me personally, that was her prerogative. Katie Dorian on the other hand made the point of making fun of her style.

I actually felt bad for Courtney Colonese! Her pacifism was pathetic! Day in and day out, the poor girl professed her love for Alex yet sat in consort with that vilely presumptuous ass, Katie Dorian, and never once objected to her innuendos about herself and her affectionate gestures toward, and about, Alex! In contrast, Katie Dorian turned green any time Courtney Colonese got some attention.

Throughout that time, I kept these individuals close as I uncovered the facts but cringed each time either professed her profound devotion to Alex because I was certain neither will have a chance with him.

Rather than breaking up with them, Alex prefers to give his girlfriends the upper hand by having them break up with him and on top of certain of Courtney Colonese’s tendencies which Alex abhorred (such as her emotional neediness and inclination to pick her nose and eat it,) her tantrum on the previous weekend had broken the camel’s back.

As for Katie Dorian, despite her assertion that they were “talking seriously,” I know his type! Appearance-wise, she was too scrawny and fake for him to like. In particular, he has never been interested in flat chested women with bleached hair.

Moreover, personality-wise, Katie Dorian compensates for her lack of self-confidence by behaving too unabashed and raunchy. In fact, I half-jokingly called her on that behavior. She was obviously distressed when I pointed out that in likelihood, she turns men off because she comes across as a bully.

Alex likes women who are confident. He values kindness and compassion and prefers tact, delicacy, and lady-like behavior in his girlfriends.

I suspected then that neither Katie Dorian nor Courtney Colonese or Charles Guiliano has a solid family because they underestimated my relationship with Alex and what he had shared with me about his time in Law School. Still, I expected that upon learning of the inordinate amount of time and attention that they spent at the hospital, their families would intervene and persuade them otherwise. In particular, I was flabbergasted when I learned that Courtney Colonese’s parents were actually encouraging her.

Either Katie Dorian is not as close to her family for them to care or she had them convinced of the merit of her cause, i.e., helping Ebony Thompson! Nevertheless, I found it sad that she did not spend time with her father on that Father’s Day.

Whenever Katie Dorian denigrated Courtney Colonese and/or attempted to exalt her own virtues, I stressed that Alex’s total recovery will take a long time and no one can second-guess what he may or may not do and who he may decide to see or not see down the line. At one occasion, when I pointed out that, “In such situations, not too many women have the constitution to stand by for the long haul.” Katie Dorian made the point of pulling me aside a few hours later and whispering, “I hope you know that I am in it for the long haul!”

... To be continued ...