Runner who slapped reporter's butt on live TV is youth minister, Boy Scout leader

[demmiblue]

Tommy Callaway has been identified as the Georgia man caught on camera slapping a reporter on her butt during a live TV broadcast.

The incident happened during a 10K Savannah Bridge Run race in Savannah, Georgia on Saturday. As WSAV-TV reporter Alex Bozarjian anchored the live segment, runners streamed by, mugging for the camera. Suddenly, a man can be seen hitting Bozarjian on her behind, which prompts a look of shock from the reporter.

Link to tweet

Since then, the video and story spread on social media, and the runner was quickly identified by his outfit and bib number. Now, new details have trickled out about Callaway.

According to Heavy.com, Callaway is 43, and a resident of Statesboro, Georgia. He is married, has daughters, works as a salesman at Swedish Match and is a youth minister at his church, Pittman Park UMC. His LinkedIn profile also says he has been a Boy Scouts of America Scout Leader since 1987.

...

“I was caught up in the moment. I was getting ready to bring my hands up and wave to the camera to the audience, there was a misjudge in character and decision-making,” he told the news program. “I touched her back; I did not know exactly where I touched her.”

https://www.oregonlive.com/nation/2019/12/runner-who-slapped-reporters-butt-on-live-tv-is-youth-minister-boy-scout-leader.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=oregonian_sf

[Fresh_Start]

1. not sure lying is really the way to go here, minister

maybe you should just admit you have no respect for women or their bodies.

[dewsgirl]

2. He so obviously smacked her ass.

[Raster]

3. Wow, so in addition to being a misogynist, sexual assaulter...

... he is also a liar.

[Takket]

15. Maybe he should run for president

[hlthe2b]

4. She filed a police report. Why is PD/DA not filing assault charges?

[BruceWane]

5. ".....salesman for Swedish Match..."

Had to look that up.......... it's a f!&*ing chewing tobacco company.

"Hi, I'm Tommy Callaway! I actively market known carcinogens for a living, and in my spare time I objectify and abuse women. Also I guide young people in my community through my church and the Boy Scouts. If you'd like your child to learn how to be a human being from me, contact me through LinkedIn!".

[Guilded Lilly]

6. You know, these men who do these assaults need to have...

Very Public accountability since they feel they are entitled to public access to a woman’s body for their juvenile entertainment.
“Misjudge in character and decision making”?
Suffer the consequences.

[flotsam]

11. And played in the passive voice

"there was a misjudge in character and decision-making" rather than "I made a poor decision making and showed poor character"...

[Guilded Lilly]

14. Yeah, that, too. And then the ever (Never) endearing...

“If I had seen the look on her face I would have been embarrassed...”etc, etc.

He should have kept his f’ing hands to himself in the first place.
He should be mortified and embarrassed and ashamed, period.
Actually, in this instance, I hope she does press some kind of charges. He rudely, sexually slapped her. And it wasn’t a pat on the back.

[dchill]

7. "..youth minister, Boy Scout leader..." Reminds me...

...of a line from "Yer So Bad" by Tom Petty

"I can't decide which is worse."

[tanyev]

8. And now he's really sorry he did it...while the camera was on.

[Tipperary]

9. What a liar.

The look on his face says it all.

[Grammy23]

10. That liar knew exactly where he

slapped that young woman. To say he didn’t know is just ridiculous.

[crickets]

13. Too right, and he doubled down on the lie.

Bozarjian did confirm that Callaway attempted to contact her to explain that his intention was not to hurt her, but says whether he meant it or not is irrelevant.

“I’m not going to really debate that — because he did hurt me,” she told CBS. “He kind of winds up. And he hit me hard.

“I think what is most important here is he took my power, and I’m trying to take that back,” she added. “I want to take my time with that.”

Good for her. What a sleaze, and he deserves every bit of pushback and blowback he gets for what he did.

[stopdiggin]

16. but remember folks, this kind of behavior is NOT a big deal in

Republican circles (and to be honest others as well). Yeah, this guys wife might be a little pissed at him (mostly for being an adolescent jerk, and the public attention to the fact she married an adolescent jerk) -- but I can more or less guarantee that this guy is being treated with comradely jokes and smirks at work -- and probably at the church that he attends as well. There just seriously ISN'T going to be any real push back or repercussion here. A slap on the butt (even a healthy wind up and swing like this one) is just not considered anything more than horseplay. (and of course, 40 year old men DO engage in horseplay.)

(I'd like to see the guy charged .. just so the stain and inconvenience stays with him and plays out for a while .. but I'm not even sure if that will have much effect .. probably be treated as a joke .. there's probably already a joking/informal GFMe in place at work and among friends to cover his fine and court costs.)