Guard Suspended After Alleged Fight With Fellow Officer

A University security guard, who has publicly charged on-the-job harassment by his superiors, was suspended without pay this week after alleging he was assaulted by a fellow guard.

The suspended guard has not been given any reason for the suspension, and was not charged with any disciplinary infraction, according to the guard himself and sources within the University police.

The guard, a Russian citizen who has requested anonymity due to fears that his immigration status could be jeopardized, was suspended indefinitely on Monday by Manager of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling.

The suspended guard said another guard hit him at least twice and threatened to kill him in the security office at 29 Garden St. last week. According to his complaint to the police, which was obtained by The Crimson, Dowling was the only witness to the incident.

The guard said he was suspended four days after the incident, and that he filed an official complaint on the day of the suspension.

Last May, the suspended guard publicly charged that Dowling permitted security supervisor Thomas F. Henaghan to harass him regularly for two years. He also said Dowling retaliated against him when he complained about the harassment. Henaghan has denied the allegation, saying that the suspended guard was a problem employee.

Lt. John F. Rooney confirmed Wednesday that the department's criminal investigations division is investigating the complaint as a possible misdemeanor. He said that he had already interviewed a "few people" regardingthe incident, but that the Russian guard had notyet been questioned.

The alleged assailant did not return repeatedphone calls to his home and office this week.Dowling and Police Chief Paul E. Johnson, who wasattending a conference at Amherst College, did notreturn phone calls yesterday.

The Russian guard said he was suspended after ahearing Monday. In that hearing, Dowling testifiedthat the guard had provoked his alleged assailantby moving the chair in which the second guard wasseated.

The suspended guard said he moved the chairbecause he wanted to look at the office bulletinboard, and the second guard had refused politerequests to move his chair out of the way.

When the suspended guard approached thebulletin board the other guard moved his chair toblock his path, the guard said in his writtenreport of the incident, which was obtained by TheCrimson.

"I asked him to let me go, and he refused. Iasked: `Why don't let me go?.' He said: `Get outfrom here, fucking Russian,'" the report says.

The Russian guard said he was not charged withany infraction during the hearing and was notgiven any reason for the suspension. While theRussian guard said he presented a written report,neither the second guard nor Dowling presentedreports, and the alleged assailant was not presentat the meeting.

Sources in the police and security departmentsaid the accused guard had not been disciplined.

The Russian guard said he was attacked "one ortwo minutes" after he began reading the bulletinboard. The Russian guard said his assailant struckhim in the back and in the chest and had his fistclenched to throw a third punch when he wasrestrained by Dowling.

"At one point, [the suspended guard] feltsomeone shove him from behind up against thewall," Officer Robert A. Cooper wrote in hispolice report.

"[The guard] then turned around and found [theother guard] facing him. [The guard] then statesthat [the other guard] pushed him two or threetimes up against the wall. [The guard] states thatMr. Dowling, who was in the office during theincident, ran over and pushed [the second guard]aside."

In an interview with The Crimson, the suspendedguard said he left the office after Dowling toldhim to "get out." The guard said he immediatelyreported the incident to Johnson, who told him hewould "look into it."

Marshall Will Investigate

After the Monday hearing, Assistant Directorfor Finance and Administration Brian D. Sinclair'62 told the suspended guard that he would consultwith General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall beforemaking a decision on how the department wouldpursue the matter.

But the suspended guard said that, after a fiveminute meeting between Dowling and Sinclair,Dowling informed him of the suspension.

Sinclair did not return a phone call from TheCrimson yesterday.

Marshall announced last week that she wouldbring two outside investigators to interviewguards in an investigation of allegeddiscrimination within the department

The alleged assailant did not return repeatedphone calls to his home and office this week.Dowling and Police Chief Paul E. Johnson, who wasattending a conference at Amherst College, did notreturn phone calls yesterday.

The Russian guard said he was suspended after ahearing Monday. In that hearing, Dowling testifiedthat the guard had provoked his alleged assailantby moving the chair in which the second guard wasseated.

The suspended guard said he moved the chairbecause he wanted to look at the office bulletinboard, and the second guard had refused politerequests to move his chair out of the way.

When the suspended guard approached thebulletin board the other guard moved his chair toblock his path, the guard said in his writtenreport of the incident, which was obtained by TheCrimson.

"I asked him to let me go, and he refused. Iasked: `Why don't let me go?.' He said: `Get outfrom here, fucking Russian,'" the report says.

The Russian guard said he was not charged withany infraction during the hearing and was notgiven any reason for the suspension. While theRussian guard said he presented a written report,neither the second guard nor Dowling presentedreports, and the alleged assailant was not presentat the meeting.

Sources in the police and security departmentsaid the accused guard had not been disciplined.

The Russian guard said he was attacked "one ortwo minutes" after he began reading the bulletinboard. The Russian guard said his assailant struckhim in the back and in the chest and had his fistclenched to throw a third punch when he wasrestrained by Dowling.

"At one point, [the suspended guard] feltsomeone shove him from behind up against thewall," Officer Robert A. Cooper wrote in hispolice report.

"[The guard] then turned around and found [theother guard] facing him. [The guard] then statesthat [the other guard] pushed him two or threetimes up against the wall. [The guard] states thatMr. Dowling, who was in the office during theincident, ran over and pushed [the second guard]aside."

In an interview with The Crimson, the suspendedguard said he left the office after Dowling toldhim to "get out." The guard said he immediatelyreported the incident to Johnson, who told him hewould "look into it."

Marshall Will Investigate

After the Monday hearing, Assistant Directorfor Finance and Administration Brian D. Sinclair'62 told the suspended guard that he would consultwith General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall beforemaking a decision on how the department wouldpursue the matter.

But the suspended guard said that, after a fiveminute meeting between Dowling and Sinclair,Dowling informed him of the suspension.

Sinclair did not return a phone call from TheCrimson yesterday.

Marshall announced last week that she wouldbring two outside investigators to interviewguards in an investigation of allegeddiscrimination within the department