Expelled Ind. Gay Teen Allegedly Attacked in Mall

A gay teen from Indianapolis, Ind., who was expelled for bringing a stun gun to his high school, was allegedly assaulted at a mall where he works, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Local authorities say that Darnell "Dynasty" Young, 17, was attacked in Indianapolis's Circle Centre mall's food court by a 34-year-old man who recognized the teen from the media.

Khyran R. Delay has been charged with battery and is currently in a local jail.

Earlier this month Young, who is openly gay, was expelled from Arsenal Technical High School after he brought a stun gun to school and fired into the air in order protect himself against bullies.

The teen says he has experienced anti-gay bullying for months and his mother, Chelisa Grimes, gave him the weapon to ward off harassers. She claims that she gave him the stun gun because school officials did not do enough to protect her son.

"I do not promote violence -- not at all -- but what is a parent to do when she has done everything that she felt she was supposed to do ... at the school?" Grimes told CNN. "I did feel like there was nothing else left for me to do but protect my child."

But after a school hearing an independent arbitrator ruled that Young should be expelled for bringing the weapon onto school grounds.

"I couldn't believe that they did it," Young's mother, Grimes, said. "They really kicked him out."

Court documents note that Delay told mall security that he remembered Young from the news and tried to talk to the teen about the incident. The 34-year-old said Young "got in his face and that he pushed Young," the newspaper says.

Young and a mall janitor that witnessed the incident told police a different story, however. They say that Delay told the teen to get away from him after he walked passed his table in the food court. Delay spewed anti-gay epithets at Young, pushed him and hit him in the face.

The janitor called mall security, who later detained Delay. The court documents also say that the victim had redness in his left eye where Delay allegedly attacked him.

Delay is scheduled to appear in court next week.