Guards' Claims Overlooked By Steiner's Office

The Office of the General Counsel did not interview six former and current University security guards--all of whom made charges of harassment--during an investigation of the security department, according to the guards.

In addition, yesterday a Black security guard became the seventh department employee to charge that security supervisors harassed him.

Last month, Vice President and General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 said University attorney Diane B. Patrick investigated allegations of harassment in the security department and found them to be without merit. Steiner at that time acknowledged "a perception" of racial problems in the guard unit.

The investigation of the security department produced no written report, sources said.

Steiner yesterday would not say whether the six guards were interviewed. He maintained that Patrick's investigation was effective and said public agencies--including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)--had investigated many of the same complaints and also found them to be without merit.

Of the six guards, at least two have lost grievances filed with MCAD. It is not known whether the other four guards pursued their complaints with MCAD or other public agencies.

Police Chief Paul E. Johnson said yesterday that a thorough investigation of thesecurity department had taken place.

Johnson denied all harassment charges exceptJacquelynn Leonard's complaint that securitysupervisor Thomas Henaghan sexually harassed herin 1990.

"Jacquelynn has some basis," Johnson said.

According to documents, officials from thepolice department and the Service EmployeesInternational Union, the AFL-CIO chapter thatrepresents Harvard guards, met with Patrick onSeptember 12, 1991.

At the meeting, Patrick said she wouldinvestigate charges of harassment and racialmistreatment and inform the union of her findings.As of yesterday, the union had not received areport on Patrick's findings, sources said.

Patrick was provided with the names of at leasttwo of the six security guards at the meeting,sources confirmed. She did not return repeatedtelephone calls made to her office over the pastthree weeks.

A January 27, 1992 letter from union businessagent Francis E. Fanning to Patrick asked why shehad not responded to the union's complaints--morethan three months after the meeting took place. "Ihave made several calls to you and as of this datehave had no response," Fanning's letter reads.

Fanning was out of town and could not bereached for comment yesterday.

To date, five minority guards have saidsupervisors harassed them because of their raceand ethnicity: Black guard Pierre R. Voss, Blackguard Steven Thompson, Hispanic former guardRolando Diaz, Black former guard Rodney Johnsonand a Russian guard who requested anonymity.Asian-American guard Jacquelynn Leonard said asupervisor sexually harassed her.

And another Black guard, who asked not to beidentified because he feared reprisals, said lastnight that security supervisor Donald Behennaracially harassed him on several occasions. RobertJ. Dowling, manager of operations for security,fostered an environment where racial epithets weretolerated, the guard said.

The guard said Behenna hounded himunnecessarily while at his post and belittled himduring conversations. The guard also recounted anApril incident in which a white guard used theword "nigger" in front of the Black guard and asupervisor.

"[The white guard] said, `You see you niggersgetting your asses kicked in L.A. One reason wehave so many problems in this department is youpeople,'" the Black guard said.

Steven Thompson, whose discrimination complainthelped prompt the meeting with Patrick, said hehad not spoken to Patrick or any representative ofthe general counsel's office as part of theinvestigation.

Thompson, who is Black, charged that he wassuspended for sleeping, while a white guard wasonly given a warning for sleeping. Thompson saidhe will consider his punishment racially motivateduntil he hears an explanation from the generalcounsel.

"They haven't give me any explanation--sothat's what I think," Thompson said.

Thompson also said Patrick never provided himwith any response, either verbal or written, tohis complaint.

Steiner said last month that the investigationincluded a probe of Pierre R. Voss' complaint. ButVoss said Sunday he had never been contacted byanyone from the general counsel's office.

"If they've investigated it, they've neverspoken to me--never," said Voss. "So I don't knowwhat kind of investigation they did."

In responding to these allegations, police andsecurity officials maintained that each harassmentcomplaint was followed by a thorough internalinvestigation.

But many guards said internal investigationsare inadequate, with alleged harassers in somecases doing some of the investigating. And someguards said supervisors retaliated against thosewho make harassment complaints.

Johnson said he instructed all securitysupervisors to refer questions to him and said hewould no longer comment on specific harassmentcomplaints. "By commenting on these issues, wecan't get our view-point across," Johnson said.

Steiner also called The Crimson coverage of theharassment allegations "unfair.

Johnson denied all harassment charges exceptJacquelynn Leonard's complaint that securitysupervisor Thomas Henaghan sexually harassed herin 1990.

"Jacquelynn has some basis," Johnson said.

According to documents, officials from thepolice department and the Service EmployeesInternational Union, the AFL-CIO chapter thatrepresents Harvard guards, met with Patrick onSeptember 12, 1991.

At the meeting, Patrick said she wouldinvestigate charges of harassment and racialmistreatment and inform the union of her findings.As of yesterday, the union had not received areport on Patrick's findings, sources said.

Patrick was provided with the names of at leasttwo of the six security guards at the meeting,sources confirmed. She did not return repeatedtelephone calls made to her office over the pastthree weeks.

A January 27, 1992 letter from union businessagent Francis E. Fanning to Patrick asked why shehad not responded to the union's complaints--morethan three months after the meeting took place. "Ihave made several calls to you and as of this datehave had no response," Fanning's letter reads.

Fanning was out of town and could not bereached for comment yesterday.

To date, five minority guards have saidsupervisors harassed them because of their raceand ethnicity: Black guard Pierre R. Voss, Blackguard Steven Thompson, Hispanic former guardRolando Diaz, Black former guard Rodney Johnsonand a Russian guard who requested anonymity.Asian-American guard Jacquelynn Leonard said asupervisor sexually harassed her.

And another Black guard, who asked not to beidentified because he feared reprisals, said lastnight that security supervisor Donald Behennaracially harassed him on several occasions. RobertJ. Dowling, manager of operations for security,fostered an environment where racial epithets weretolerated, the guard said.

The guard said Behenna hounded himunnecessarily while at his post and belittled himduring conversations. The guard also recounted anApril incident in which a white guard used theword "nigger" in front of the Black guard and asupervisor.

"[The white guard] said, `You see you niggersgetting your asses kicked in L.A. One reason wehave so many problems in this department is youpeople,'" the Black guard said.

Steven Thompson, whose discrimination complainthelped prompt the meeting with Patrick, said hehad not spoken to Patrick or any representative ofthe general counsel's office as part of theinvestigation.

Thompson, who is Black, charged that he wassuspended for sleeping, while a white guard wasonly given a warning for sleeping. Thompson saidhe will consider his punishment racially motivateduntil he hears an explanation from the generalcounsel.

"They haven't give me any explanation--sothat's what I think," Thompson said.

Thompson also said Patrick never provided himwith any response, either verbal or written, tohis complaint.

Steiner said last month that the investigationincluded a probe of Pierre R. Voss' complaint. ButVoss said Sunday he had never been contacted byanyone from the general counsel's office.

"If they've investigated it, they've neverspoken to me--never," said Voss. "So I don't knowwhat kind of investigation they did."

In responding to these allegations, police andsecurity officials maintained that each harassmentcomplaint was followed by a thorough internalinvestigation.

But many guards said internal investigationsare inadequate, with alleged harassers in somecases doing some of the investigating. And someguards said supervisors retaliated against thosewho make harassment complaints.

Johnson said he instructed all securitysupervisors to refer questions to him and said hewould no longer comment on specific harassmentcomplaints. "By commenting on these issues, wecan't get our view-point across," Johnson said.

Steiner also called The Crimson coverage of theharassment allegations "unfair.