Columbus, Ohio (AP) – A judge sentenced a man to 20 days in jail after he was convicted of “ethnic menacing” for harassing a gay man at a central Ohio health club.
At his sentencing in Columbus, Michael D. Smith said it was “an unfortunate situation that got overblown.” After he gets out of jail, he’ll be on probation for two years.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that 41-year-old Smith was convicted last week after he made anti-gay remarks toward a gay man and had to be restrained by two other gym members on Aug. 23.
In addition, the jury convicted of disorderly conduct for the altercation and aggravated menacing for sending the gym manager a pair of brief emails filled with profanity and gay slurs.
