Harassment by security officer at B.O.M.B.S. party

On Friday night, numerous incidents of harassment by an Event Staff Security (ESS) officer were reported during a party hosted by Brown’s Organization of Multiracial and Biracial Students (B.O.M.B.S.) in Harambee Lounge. B.O.M.B.S issued a statement on Sunday morning responding to the events that occurred. The following is a summary of what was included in the statement.The statement outlined three specific incidents, including quotes from the affected students. The first involved a black student outside the party who was approached by the ESS officer and told to get off of the ramp. The student involved detailed the situation as follows: “I proceeded to tell the officer that my ancestors built this campus and that my tuition allowed me to be in this public university space, and they proceeded to say ‘well my ancestors (white ancestors) were practically slaves on potato farms so I don't really know what's worse.’" When the student did not respond, the officer proceeded to say ‘I stumped you didn’t I? You don’t know what to say.’” The student was extremely hurt by these belittling and inappropriate comments, especially given the role and duties of an ESS officer.The second incident involved a female student that mistakenly entered the party even though she had not been officially let in. The previously mentioned ESS officer began to yell at the student, who was unsure of what was going in, and forced her out of the building by her neck. The officer then made proud comments to other security about the bruises the girl would likely develop. When the student finally reached the door again after waiting in line, the same officer identified her and said, “Get the fuck away, I will file an assault charge against you.”The third and final reported incident occurred when two male students were outside the party and appeared to be debating whether or not to go inside. Allegedly, the same ESS officer came up to them and tried to convince them to go in by pointing out attractive women in the party and commenting on their appearances.B.O.M.B.S. was deeply disturbed by these events, especially because it is an organization dedicated to create a safe environment for people of color. The E-Board stated that they plan to file an official report against this particular ESS employee.These incidents raise a number of questions about who provides security for campus events. This issue has been particularly pressing in light of a situation that happened last fall when a student visiting for the Latinx Ivy League Conference reported being verbally and physically abused by Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers outside Machado House.In the University’s “DPS Staffing Policy for Campus Events,” it is written that event security officers should take proper action “when the integrity of the event is compromised and/or guest safety is questioned.” The protocol for when ESS officers themselves are the cause of this compromised integrity is not quite as clear. What is evident in the policy is that security officers are to report to the event coordinators, who then decide along with the security what further action is required.Brown organizations such as B.O.M.B.S work tirelessly toward developing an environment that is comfortable and welcoming for all Brown students. They spend hours planning, training, and detailing how to best approach sensitive issues and hosting events where guests can truly enjoy themselves. However, the events that reflect on the party experience are often ultimately out of the control of the event coordinators. Security officers have an authority that Brown students are not qualified to have, for good reason, but this provides them with a certain power that is very difficult to challenge. Brown students do not get to choose who serves as security for their events, and it is hard to imagine how they could. Still, the impact of security on an event is unmistakable; it takes an entire organization to create a welcoming space, but it only takes one unsafe presence to shatter it. Image via