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College Student Assaulted Over Gay Marriage Editorial

BRIDGEWATER (CBS) - A college student says someone attacked her on campus because she expressed her support for gay marriage.

Destinie Mogg-Barkalow is an opinion editor for Bridgewater State University's student newspaper, The Comment. Thursday's paper featured a piece she wrote under the headline, "Prop 8 generates more hate."

That night as she walked through campus, a man and woman who looked like students stopped her. "The male student asked questions. 'Do you write for The Comment?' She said, 'yes'. 'Did you write this piece?' 'Yes,'" explains her father, Jordan Barkalow, who's an assistant professor.

WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports

Then he says it got violent. "She was hit on the side of the head with a punch."

The university's Vice President says police are now going through student pictures to see if anyone matches the description. "She was assaulted because of her opinion, and we will not tolerate any assault that relates to someone on this campus expressing their opinion," says Frederick Clark.

Students have organized a rally to support Mogg-Barkalow next Tuesday.

"I'm shocked," says the father. "Issues like this come up regularly in my classes. I would not have expected anything like this, particularly a violent outburst."

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