Gage Wright was accused of suspicious behavior while working out and reading in Crandall Park in Glens Falls.
Courtesy of Ryan Rabine
GLENS FALLS — A 34-year-old man with autism has been accused by fellow community members of harassing children. He’s been mocked online, ridiculed in public and physically assaulted multiple times.
He says all he was doing was reading and exercising in the park.
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For months, Gage Wright has been a familiar figure in Crandall Park in the heart of Glens Falls, often dressed head to toe in black, prompting some to refer to him as “the man in black.” But recently, he has been accused of recording children in the park. Wright denies that, and friends and family have rallied to his defense.
The controversy has spilled onto social media, where videos of Wright in the park have circulated. Community members have also confronted him in public and, according to his longtime friend Ryan Rabine, physically assaulted him on five occasions.
The Glens Falls Police Department released a statement on July 23 condemning “vigilante actions” involving residents “confronting and assaulting other people based upon their belief of suspicious behavior,” and encouraging community members to notify police instead of taking matters into their own hands.
“Every report involving this individual was investigated. Police found no criminal activity, and the Glens Falls Police Department found no criminal record involving this individual in the city,” Glens Falls Mayor Diana Palmer said in a statement to the Times Union. “We ask the public not to rely on rumors or social media reports and not to take matters into their own hands.”
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The controversy has divided residents and prompted Rabine to form a Facebook group, “Stand with Gage,” that has grown to nearly 900 members. It has also prompted a debate about how neurodivergent people exist in public space.
“Vulnerable citizens and disabled children should not be forced to stay locked inside their homes because existing in public carries the risk of life-altering exposure, mockery, or even violence,” said Chris Evans, a Saratoga County resident who has spoken out in Wright’s defense.
The Times Union was unable to reach out to Wright; Rabine said that he is hiding from the public.
The accusations against Wright stem in part from the way he holds his phone, according to his supporters.
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“He has a good posture,” Rabine said. “He doesn’t bend down to look at his phone or anything; he’s always standing up straight and tall. So when he looks at his phone, he always looks like he’s taking pictures.”
Rabine said that he, too, has asked his friend if he was recording people, but Wright always said no. Rabine said that Wright also has a phone case that covers his camera specifically to avoid concerns like this.
Rabine said he has repeatedly asked people who accuse Wright of recording children to provide solid proof, but said no one has been able to give him any.
Wright’s friend, Ryan Rabine, started a support group, “Stand with Gage,” that hosts bodybuilding classes in the park for children and adults with autism.
Courtesy of Ryan Rabine
Although videos of Wright posted online have contributed to the harassment, people generally do not have an expectation of privacy in public places. That means someone can generally be filmed in a public park and the footage posted online, although there can be legal exceptions depending on the circumstances.
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Wright has occasionally verbally retaliated when people approach him and accuse him of recording children, according to videos of the exchanges that have been posted online. One video showed him repeatedly calling a woman a “stupid fat ugly b____” and a “stupid c__” after she called him an “idiot” and accused him of filming children.
The woman who recorded and posted the video, Theresa Fayette, did not respond to requests for comment.
After the videos began circulating, Rabine came to Wright’s defense.
“I was afraid the mob was going to really gang up and really do some serious damage to him,” Rabine said. “A lot of people really listened to what I said. People will be like, ‘I’m sorry, I was on the other side for a while until I started reading your comments.’ ”
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The “Stand with Gage” Facebook group’s slogan is “different, not dangerous,” and its members say they have begun watching out for Wright when he is in public.
“People aren’t used to different,” Rabine said. “I get it. If I didn’t know Gage, I would’ve felt some type of way, too. I would’ve been like, ‘All right, that’s kind of weird.’ But I would’ve gone up and talked to him.”
According to a 2022 study from the Springer Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, individuals with autism face an increased rate of physical and sexual violence compared to the general population.
Almost 60% of people with autism have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, according to the study. By comparison, about 40% of nonautistic adults have reported physical violence and almost 30% have reported experiencing sexual violence. Three-quarters of adults with autism have experienced more than two instances of the same type of violence, compared with about half of nonautistic adults, the study found.
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Rabine himself has gotten flak for his advocacy because of his own history. Some have pointed to a 2017 case stemming from an altercation between Rabine and his neighbor, in which she allegedly punched Rabine. In response, he grabbed her, held her down and threatened her with a snow shovel. Rabine was charged with four misdemeanors and felony criminal possession of a weapon.
Separately, he was also imprisoned for four years for possession of an unlicensed gun.
Rabine said he has nothing to hide. He said the 2017 case was settled and the charges were reduced.
“I’m not that person anymore,” Rabine said of his criminal history, adding, “I have joint custody of my child, I have a full-time job and I’m also looking into volunteer work.”
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Even after the controversy with Wright blows over, Rabine hopes to continue his work with “Stand with Gage” to support neurodivergent children and adults. “Stand with Gage” has already organized meetups and cookouts at Crandall Park in support of Wright, and is collaborating with bodybuilder Tommy Collins to host workout classes for neurodivergent children and adults every Monday in the park.
Rabine said multiple parents have come up to him and thanked him for his work, saying they’re worried about the safety of their own autistic children.
“People need to get both sides of the story before they really just start trying to hang somebody,” he said. “Nobody’s a judge or jury out here, so they shouldn’t be doing any of that.”
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