by Ayana Antoine ’20

Live television is full of all types of surprises, but on December 7 a female reporter got the shock of her life with thousands watching. Alex Bozarjian had an unfortunate encounter when a man later identified as Thomas Callaway slaps her butt during a live television broadcast of the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run in Savannah, Georgia. Callaway can be seen running up to the reporter smiling ear to ear as he assaulted her while Bozarjin’s face fills with utter dismay. She spoke out about the issue soon after, “To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should ever have to put up with this at work or anywhere. Do better,” said Bozarjin.

Although Callaway did face legal repurcussions almost immediately after, his actions point to a societal problem of normalizing sexual assault and harassment against women. Callaway felt emboldened enough to not only slap Bozarjin but to do so on live television. Although sexual assaults like this are not new, in the last several years they are now beginning to be called what they are by name and the people committing these crimes are being held to the law accordingly. Callaway was arrested after turning himself in, but was released on $1,300 bail. Online jail records show that he was charged with sexual battery, a misdemeanor in the state of Georgia that is punishable by up to a year in jail.