MILLSTONE ESTABLISHMENT DISPUTES 'GAY BASHING' CLAIM

(12/01/2011)

The owners of the Millstone Inn are widely disputing claims that a customer was the victim of "gay bashing" during a fight that broke out during karaoke at the bar early Sunday morning. Steven Long, 36, of Cincinnati, Ohio, received multiple injuries during a dispute that lasted more than half an hour. His mother Shirley Ball, 63, of Grantsville, said he was beaten by three different males, a fight that continued in the parking lot of the establishment. See earlier story MILLSTONE BAR BRAWL INJURES THREE - Family Calls Incident 'Gay Bashing' "It could have ended in his death," said Ball, who indicated she was familiar with the alleged assailants. Ball said she was disturbed about accounts of the incident posted on Facebook. Also injured during the incident was Long's aunt, Carolyn Newrones, 70, of Mantua, Ohio, who is scheduled for surgery in a Weston hospital for an arm fracture. Evangeline Darling (shown left) owner of the bar, says the fight started when Long groped the posterior of a female customer. When he was confronted by her boyfriend, Long said it was o.k. because he was gay, according to Darling. "The man [Long] was out-of-control, continuing to create separate problems with other individuals in the parking lot for a half-hour, while our staff and his family attempted to calm him," Darling said. The owner said that Long continued the episode, busting a window, breaking glasses, throwing sand and kicking a door with his foot, indicating that was how he received a foot injury. "This was not a gay bashing. This kind of behavior gives the gay community a bad name," Darling continued. "The community knows the Millstone does not tolerate this kind of behavior," Darling concluded. No arrests were made following the incident. Darling said State Police are investigating and are expected to issue a report regarding the matter. The State Police, Grantsville Detachment, does not issue public information locally about incidents in the county, although such information could shed more accurate light on the matter.

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