Connors Denies Guard Complaints

In his first public comments on last semester's controversy over racial issues in the University security guard unit, Acting General Counsel Frank J. Cannors said last week there was no racism in the department and called allegations of guards' harassment by security supervisors a "dead issue."

Connors, a University attorney who took over as acting general counsel on July 1, suggested that some guards used charges of racial discrimination as a "crutch." He said the University had fully investigated all complaints brought to its attention and that some had been looked into by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD).

"I'm not aware of any racism," said Connors, who oversees the police department and security division. "As far as I know, there are no more pending complaints."

Last spring, seven former and current minority guards said they were harassed by supervisors because of their race and ethnicity. University officials--including Chief Paul E. Johnson, former General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 and manager of operations for security Robert J. Dowling--denied that harassment occurred.

According to the guards and officials at MCAD, only two of the guards ever had their claims investigated by public agencies.

An investigation of the racial incidents conducted by the general counsel's office in the spring found no wrongdoing by the supervisors. But several guards claimed the University botched the inquiry by failing to interview them.

Connors, who has said he is not a candidate for the permanent post, is still trying to learn more about the security guard controversy. He encouraged any guard who has a problem with a supervisor to contact him or Chief Johnson.

"If there is a problem, I'd certainly like to know about it," Connors said.

Connors' statements echo those made in a June 10 letter by former University Attorney and Director of Human Resources Diane Patrick. In the letter, Patrick, who conducted the University's investigation, cited similar inquiries by the EEOC and MCAD.

The letter came one week after Sseveral minority guards and union officialscomplained about Patrick's failure to respond totheir complaints. Patrick promised to look intoguard complaints in September 1991.

Many guards, however, said last week they knowlittle about the letter because it was only readto a few members of the unit. Copies of the letterwere not released, union agent Francis Fanningreportedly told guards, because Patrick wasworried about press leaks.

Some guards said they were particularlydisappointed with the general counsel'sinvestigation because of what one guard called a"lack of recourse" inside the department.

These guards said they don't take complaintsabout supervisors to Johnson because the policechief allows supervisors to investigate thecomplaints themselves.

One guard compared the department's response inthese cases to "letting the fox mind thehenhouse," and several said the department'ssystem of handling complaints has let to instancesof retaliation. Dowling, head of the securitydepartment, has denied this allegation.

Connors called any suggestion of retaliation"absolutely false."

"People just do not get retaliated against inthat department for expressing themselves,"Connors said

Many guards, however, said last week they knowlittle about the letter because it was only readto a few members of the unit. Copies of the letterwere not released, union agent Francis Fanningreportedly told guards, because Patrick wasworried about press leaks.

Some guards said they were particularlydisappointed with the general counsel'sinvestigation because of what one guard called a"lack of recourse" inside the department.

These guards said they don't take complaintsabout supervisors to Johnson because the policechief allows supervisors to investigate thecomplaints themselves.

One guard compared the department's response inthese cases to "letting the fox mind thehenhouse," and several said the department'ssystem of handling complaints has let to instancesof retaliation. Dowling, head of the securitydepartment, has denied this allegation.

Connors called any suggestion of retaliation"absolutely false."

"People just do not get retaliated against inthat department for expressing themselves,"Connors said