WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney is countering the notion that he bullied high school classmates and insists he didn’t know some were gay.
The Republican presidential candidate apologized Thursday to anyone he may have offended by what he said were “hijinks and pranks during high school.” His comments in a hastily arranged radio interview followed a Washington Post report Thursday that he had held down classmate John Lauber and cut off his bleached blond hair. The Post suggested Lauber was bullied because he was gay.
The newspaper also reported that Romney shouted “atta girl” at a different student.
Separately, Romney told Fox News that the people involved didn’t reveal they were gay until years later. Romney said he participated in many pranks and that some, in his words, “may have gone too far.”
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.