Dear Campus Community,

I write today as a follow up to my campus message last week regarding the Nov. 1 arrest of a student, a person of color, by UMass police at a construction site.

As I stated in my previous email to the campus, several witnesses contacted my office expressing concern for the treatment of the student by police. Subsequently, the UMass Police Department (UMPD) received formal complaints from members of the community regarding the arrest.

In accordance with UMPD policy “that all reports or accusations made against members of the department, or the department in general, from all sources shall be thoroughly investigated,” the firm of Margolis Healy and Associates has been engaged to conduct an independent investigation of the incident. Margolis Healy’s expertise is in special investigations and reviews with a focus on safety, security, regulatory compliance, Title IX and Clery Act assessments. The decision by UMPD Chief Tyrone Parham to retain the firm, which Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Brandi Hephner LaBanc and I fully support, was made to ensure that the investigation is comprehensive, independent and unbiased.

Since aspects of the investigation will be governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and relate to a personnel matter, there will be limits on what can be disclosed publicly as the investigation proceeds. However, as I stated previously, we are committed to ensuring that the student involved is supported and is treated justly and with compassion. We will also work to ensure that the process is fair to the officers involved, and that UMPD fulfills its important public safety mission free of bias. UMPD takes this responsibility seriously and as part of these efforts closely tracks, monitors and follows up on reported bias incidents, and UMPD officers regularly undergo anti-bias training. Policies, procedures and training will be re-examined based on the findings of the current investigation.

I also want to take this opportunity to update you on another incident that occurred late last week in which two Black students were involved in a dispute with the driver and another passenger on a PVTA bus stemming from one of the students carrying a drink on to the bus. At some point during the interaction, the PVTA called the police. The responding UMPD officer eventually de-escalated the situation and the bus proceeded on its route with the students on board. However, based on witness reports and social media accounts, there are some who viewed this incident as an example of anti-black racism.

I have personally conveyed my concerns about this incident to the PVTA, since UMass does not operate this particular bus route and does not employ the driver, and they assure me that they are investigating it. We will also review this matter to ensure that campus first-responders carry out their duties in an unbiased manner. We are also in the process of identifying and contacting the affected students to offer support and comfort.

As we see from these incidents, despite our best efforts, our campus is not immune from many of the same conflicts and tensions that spur division in our broader society. I call on every member of our campus community to come together to join in the important ongoing work of building a safe community of equity, justice and dignity for all.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy