Charge and Countercharge

When security supervisor Donald P. Behenna was hired as a Harvard security guard in 1980, he almost didn't complete his six month probation period.

In October 1980, Police Sgt. Arthur G. Luongo sent a letter to Behenna warning him that his record of absences was "unacceptable." If Behenna's attendance did not improve, "there is substantial likelihood that you will not be retained by this organization," he wrote.

Behenna eventually passed his probation and became a permanent employee. But it was not the last time Behenna had problems on the job.

His early days at Harvard presaged a career underscored with conflict, and in recent years marked by complaints from minority employees. Despite a series of complaints, Manager of Operations for Security Robert J. Dowling has stood by Behenna, and a recent University probe cleared Behenna of wrongdoing.

This week, another charge of racial harassment against Behenna surfaced in a letter written by a Black Education School student who once worked under him.

The student, Frances C. Ugwuegbu, described a November 25, 1990 confrontation with Behenna which she termed "definitely racial."

She sent a letter of complaint soon afterwards to Dowling. She said Dowling never responded.

The letter is the latest in a series of charges about Behenna's behavior and Dowling's alleged disregard of complaints from minority guards.

Early Days

During his four years as a guard, Behenna had numerous unexcused absences that led to at least two suspensions, according to documents obtained by The Crimson.

One of those suspensions, given in March 1983 for missing work, lasted five days, a penalty which several guards have said is customarily one step short of termination.

In 1981, Behenna, who is white, allegedly engaged in a confrontation with then-security supervisor Robert R. Sutherland. Sutherland, who is Black, said Behenna told him to "fuck off" when he asked him about missing a shift during a telephone call.

According to documents, Sutherland attempted to discipline Behenna for insubordination. Behenna's response was not documented, and it is not known whether he was disciplined.

Behenna also allegedly struck a man on DeWolfe Street in 1983 while he was a guard, a charge that he denies. It is unclear how the charge was investigated or how it was resolved.

In a written statement, Cambridge resident Henry Grodzins said Behenna, without displaying any badge and speaking in a "threatening tone," picked him up and threw him to the ground on DeWolfe Street.

In his written statement, Behenna acknowledged using obscenities in confronting Grodzins, who the report indicates is white. Behenna denied that he struck Grodzins, saying that when he "directed [Grodzins] out of my path," the man fell.

Despite these incidents and more than one dozen recorded instances of rule infractions, Behenna was promoted from guard to security supervisor in 1984, sources say. Two department employees familiar with his record said they did not understand why he was promoted.

At the time, Dowling was a member of management but he did not head the security department.

Promotion to Supervisor

After the promotion, Behenna allegedly had problems dealing with employees. Last spring, three minority guards who have worked under Behenna said they were harassed by him during their tenure in the unit.

The alleged harassment included verbal abuse, unusually close monitoring of minority guards during shifts, and threats of reprisals.

Behenna has consistently refused to answer questions from The Crimson. He refused comment again yesterday.

University officials--including Johnson, former General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54, Director of Human Resources Diane Patrick and acting General Counsel Frank J. Connors--have said complaints against security supervisors were investigated and the supervisors cleared.

Investigations of similar claims by two guards were dismissed by a state agency, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

But several guards claim the University botched the inquiry by failing to interview them.

Latest Charge

Ugwuegbu, who worked as a dispatcher for the escort service during the academic year 1990-91, said this week she stands by her letter of complaint against Behenna.

In the letter, which was obtained by The Crimson, Ugwuegbu said Behenna made "harsh, humiliating and inhumane comments" after she attempted to switch shifts with another student dispatcher.

On the night in question, Ugwuegbu said she was exhausted from working "several nights consecutively." In the letter, Ugwuegbu said Behenna demanded she work the overnight shift despite her fatigue.

When she explained she had prayers to recite the next morning, Behenna allegedly told her to have someone recite them for her.

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

Responding to a question about the letter, Police Chief Paul E. Johnson said this week that Behenna had undergone "retraining and admonishment" because of his behavior on the job.

He did not specify the nature of the retraining, and could not be reached yesterday.

Two department employees with more than 10 years experience said they were not aware of any specific program for retraining employees. Each said it is possible that Johnson had worked something out on his own.

Johnson said there had been "several complaints" from Behenna's co-workers about how he treated them.

He said he could not recall if Ugwuegbu's complaint had been one of those that prompted the retraining of Behenna. He declined to discuss the other complaints against Behenna.

Johnson's statement was the first public indication by any University official acknowledging concern over Behenna's conduct.

Steiner said last spring that there was only a "perception of a problem" within the guard unit.

And in his first public comments on the subject last month, Connors said he knew of no problems in the security department, and suggested that some guards were using allegations of racial discrimination as a "crutch."

No Response to Complaint

Ugwuegbu said in an interview last week that while she pressed Dowling several times about her complaint, he never responded. John F. Lakin, attorney for Dowling, said this week that his client did not wish to comment on the matter.

Dowling and Behenna, many guards say, are friendly on the job and spend time together outside the security supervisors' office.

No other investigation of the department is planned. Connors said he wants to hear from any guards who may have complaints about how they are being treated. Connors said he has received most of his information about the security guard unit from Patrick, Harvard's director of human resources, and Johnson.

The guard controversy--and the conduct of Behenna--promises to be one issue newly appointed general counsel Margaret H. Marshal will have to address when she takes office November 1.

Some guards said this week they may take up their complaints with the new general counsel, who oversees the police and security departments.

"The problem with the whole department has been supervisors," said one longtime employee of the police department. "I just don't hear anything changing. My question is, 'Why not?'"