Police Chief Says Security Official Was 'Retrained'

Responding to a complaint from a Black Education School student who worked in his department, Police Chief Paul E. Johnson yesterday said security supervisor Donald P. Behenna had undergone "retraining and admonishment" because of his behavior on the job.

Johnson said he did not recall the specific complaint made by Frances C. Ugwuegbu in a November 29, 1990 letter to Manager of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling, Behenna's supervisor.

Behenna, who is white, has been accused of racial harassment by three University security guards he has supervised. An investigation by the University's office of the general counsel cleared Behenna--but several guards said that Harvard's attorneys botched the inquiry by failing to interview them.

Ugwuegbu, who worked as a dispatcher for the escort unit during the academic year 1990-91, said last week she was harassed by Behenna on the night of November 25, 1990, in an incident she termed "definitely racial."

"We had a series of complaints about his behavior" around the time Ugwuegbu sent her letter, Johnson said. Johnson added that he believed Behenna's behavior was the result of "personal problems." Johnson declined to identify specific problems.

Johnson refused to elaborate on specifics of the other complaints against Behenna. He said he needed more time to "look up" the incidents and said he would release further details.

Johnson would not say what kind of "retraining" Behenna received. Johnson said he believed the retraining hadbeen in response to several complaints, possiblyincluding Ugwuegbu's. He said he could not recallwhether the department had responded to Ugwuegbu'swritten complaint. He could not recall whether thedisciplinary measures were specifically a resultof Ugwuegbu's complaint and said he did notremember if the department had issued a responseto Ugwuegbu's complaint.

Ugwuegbu said last week that while she hadpressed Dowling several times for a response toher written complaint against Behenna, he hadnever responded.

After the alleged episode, Ugwuegbu said shewas able to avoid contact with Behenna and said nofurther incidents occurred. Ugwuegbu said she leftthe force at the end of the 1990-91 academic yearsfor reasons unrelated to the incident.

On the night in question, Behenna allegedlyconfronted Ugwuegbu after she swapped assignmentswith another student officer on the request ofsecurity supervisor Andy Parker. She said she wasexhausted from working "several nightsconsecutively."

Ugwuegbu said Behenna was so angry, loud andabusive toward her that she initially wondered ifhe was joking.

"It was totally unacceptable," said Ugwuegbu."I thought he was putting on an act."

Ugwuegbu did not say in the letter and couldnot remember in an interview what words Behennaused.

Behenna did not return a phone call last week.Reached at home Sunday, Dowling refused to commentand referred The Crimson to his attorney.Dowling's attorney, John F. Lakin, refused tocomment yesterday.

In the letter, which was obtained by TheCrimson, Ugwuegbu said Behenna demanded she workthe overnight shift despite her fatigue. When sheexplained she had prayers to recite the nextmorning he allegedly told her to have someonerecite them for her.

"His tone and intimidating manner made mewonder if I was a prisoner, a boot camp recruit,or worse yet, a slave," Ugwuegbu wrote.

Ugwuegbu said Dowling told her repeatedly hewould investigate her complaint. She said thatalthough she checked back with him several timesover the following months, Dowling never indicatedhe had completed his investigation.

"I was disappointed at the [security]administration for not giving me feedback,"Ugwuegbu said.

Ugwuegbu, who came to the U.S. from Nigeria in1985, said although Behenna used no racialepithets she believed Behenna's behavior wasracially motivated because of his "whole attitude"and because two witnesses to the incident wereBlack men. Both men, one a Roman Catholic priestand the other a former Nieman fellow, werebelieved to be out of the country and could not bereached for comment.

"If those guys standing there had been whitemen, he would have approached the situationdifferently," Ugwuegbu said.

Last spring, three University guards saidBehenna harassed them because of their race andethnicity. The alleged harassment included verbalabuse, unusually close monitoring of the minorityguards during shifts, and threats of reprisals.

According to documents obtained by the Crimsonin June, Behenna had a history of disciplinaryproblems as a guard before he was promoted tosupervisor in 1984.

University officials--including Johnson, formerGeneral Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 and actingGeneral Counsel Frank J. Connors--have saidcomplaints against security supervisors wereinvestigated and the supervisors cleared.

Last week, Connors said he knew of no racism orcommunication problem in the security guard unit.He also said he thought minority guards might beusing charges of discrimination as a "crutch."

Behenna has refused to answer any questionsfrom The Crimson. Dowling said in May that theallegations of harassment were part of an effortby two members of the security department todiscredit him.

Ugwuegbu said last week that while she had putthe incident behind her, she stood by the versionof the incident presented in the letter.

"What I reported there was an accuratedescription," Ugwuegbu said

Ugwuegbu said last week that while she hadpressed Dowling several times for a response toher written complaint against Behenna, he hadnever responded.

After the alleged episode, Ugwuegbu said shewas able to avoid contact with Behenna and said nofurther incidents occurred. Ugwuegbu said she leftthe force at the end of the 1990-91 academic yearsfor reasons unrelated to the incident.

On the night in question, Behenna allegedlyconfronted Ugwuegbu after she swapped assignmentswith another student officer on the request ofsecurity supervisor Andy Parker. She said she wasexhausted from working "several nightsconsecutively."

Ugwuegbu said Behenna was so angry, loud andabusive toward her that she initially wondered ifhe was joking.

"It was totally unacceptable," said Ugwuegbu."I thought he was putting on an act."

Ugwuegbu did not say in the letter and couldnot remember in an interview what words Behennaused.

Behenna did not return a phone call last week.Reached at home Sunday, Dowling refused to commentand referred The Crimson to his attorney.Dowling's attorney, John F. Lakin, refused tocomment yesterday.

In the letter, which was obtained by TheCrimson, Ugwuegbu said Behenna demanded she workthe overnight shift despite her fatigue. When sheexplained she had prayers to recite the nextmorning he allegedly told her to have someonerecite them for her.

"His tone and intimidating manner made mewonder if I was a prisoner, a boot camp recruit,or worse yet, a slave," Ugwuegbu wrote.

Ugwuegbu said Dowling told her repeatedly hewould investigate her complaint. She said thatalthough she checked back with him several timesover the following months, Dowling never indicatedhe had completed his investigation.

"I was disappointed at the [security]administration for not giving me feedback,"Ugwuegbu said.

Ugwuegbu, who came to the U.S. from Nigeria in1985, said although Behenna used no racialepithets she believed Behenna's behavior wasracially motivated because of his "whole attitude"and because two witnesses to the incident wereBlack men. Both men, one a Roman Catholic priestand the other a former Nieman fellow, werebelieved to be out of the country and could not bereached for comment.

"If those guys standing there had been whitemen, he would have approached the situationdifferently," Ugwuegbu said.

Last spring, three University guards saidBehenna harassed them because of their race andethnicity. The alleged harassment included verbalabuse, unusually close monitoring of the minorityguards during shifts, and threats of reprisals.

According to documents obtained by the Crimsonin June, Behenna had a history of disciplinaryproblems as a guard before he was promoted tosupervisor in 1984.

University officials--including Johnson, formerGeneral Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 and actingGeneral Counsel Frank J. Connors--have saidcomplaints against security supervisors wereinvestigated and the supervisors cleared.

Last week, Connors said he knew of no racism orcommunication problem in the security guard unit.He also said he thought minority guards might beusing charges of discrimination as a "crutch."

Behenna has refused to answer any questionsfrom The Crimson. Dowling said in May that theallegations of harassment were part of an effortby two members of the security department todiscredit him.

Ugwuegbu said last week that while she had putthe incident behind her, she stood by the versionof the incident presented in the letter.

"What I reported there was an accuratedescription," Ugwuegbu said