Black Guard Says Two Supervisors Harassed Him

A Black guard in the University's Police and Security division said yesterday he was fired after he complained that two supervisors racially harassed him.

The guard, who has since been reinstated, said Robert J. Dowling, manager of operations for police and security, and Donald Behenna, security supervisor, racially harassed him more than two dozen times between January and July of 1991.

The guard said Dowling and Behenna singled him out for verbal abuse because he is Black. He also said the two supervisors fostered an environment in which racial epithets were tolerated.

The guard requested anonymity because he feared reprisals from his supervisors.

Harvard Police Chief Paul E. Johnson said yesterday that the guard was fired for other reasons.

"I don't think anything was done to adversely affect [the guard] in regards to his race," Johnson said.

In a discrimination complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and obtained by The Crimson, the guard says both supervisors verbally harassed him and charges Behenna with coercing him "to provide a written statement which stated he was not a racist."

The complaint was dated July 23, 1991--the day the guard was fired by Dowling. Records show he also filed a complaint with the Service Employees International Union that day.

EEOC officials declined to comment on the matter, saying the agency will not discuss specific cases.

The guard, who was hired in January 1991, originally made the charges of racial harassment in meetings with Dowling and Johnson in March and April of 1991.

Sources close to the department say the guard was reinstated within two weeks of his firing. He is now employed in the security division but is on leave with a temporary disability,

The reinstatement came after union officials pressured the University to doso, sources say.

Dowling and Behenna could not be reached forcomment yesterday.

While the guard and some department sources saythe firing was a reprisal, a police documentsigned by Dowling lists other reasons for theguard's dismissal.

Among the reasons listed are five instances oflateness, one evening where the guard was foundout of uniform, and another incident in which theguard attempted to enter Lehman Hall duringoff-duty hours.

In an interview yesterday, the guard said hehad asked the security officer on duty at Lehmanif he could go inside and play pool. When thesecurity officer refused, the guard said he left.

The guard said the racial harassment beganshortly after he was hired.

According to the guard, Dowling called him inJanuary 1991 and asked him if he had made amistake in his application. Dowling did not thinkthat the guard, who is light-skinned, was Black ashe had listed in his application.

"Ever since then, Donnie Behenna has definitelyharassed me--at least 25 different times," theguard said. The guard also said his pay wasunfairly docked and he alleges that Behennamonitored him unusually closely during his shifts.

The guard said Behenna regularly cursed at himin front of other employees, and recalled aconversation in which Dowling said he would votefor former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

In addition to the charges of verbal racialharassment, the guard claims in the EEOC complaintthat Behenna "coerced me to provide a writtenstatement which stated he was not a racist, whichI did."

The guard said he originally did not intend toprovide Behenna with the statement, but thesupervisor harassed him during work hours until hedid. He did not know why Behenna wanted thestatement.

Johnson acknowledged that Behenna had asked forsuch statements, but added that the supervisor hadnot "coerced" anyone.

"He [Behenna] was looking for letters ofsupport--I wouldn't say 'coerced," Johnson said.

The chief also defended the conduct of Dowling,Who is immediately responsible for thedepartment's guard division.

"I think he's been pretty fair in dealing withthese problems," said Johnson. "He's brought themto my attention."

The guard said that other Black and minorityguards have been harassed. Harvard currentlyemploys 108 guards, about a quarter of whom areminorities.

"People are angry," said the guard. "[Theharassment] is so blatant. It's not like a hiddenthing.

Dowling and Behenna could not be reached forcomment yesterday.

While the guard and some department sources saythe firing was a reprisal, a police documentsigned by Dowling lists other reasons for theguard's dismissal.

Among the reasons listed are five instances oflateness, one evening where the guard was foundout of uniform, and another incident in which theguard attempted to enter Lehman Hall duringoff-duty hours.

In an interview yesterday, the guard said hehad asked the security officer on duty at Lehmanif he could go inside and play pool. When thesecurity officer refused, the guard said he left.

The guard said the racial harassment beganshortly after he was hired.

According to the guard, Dowling called him inJanuary 1991 and asked him if he had made amistake in his application. Dowling did not thinkthat the guard, who is light-skinned, was Black ashe had listed in his application.

"Ever since then, Donnie Behenna has definitelyharassed me--at least 25 different times," theguard said. The guard also said his pay wasunfairly docked and he alleges that Behennamonitored him unusually closely during his shifts.

The guard said Behenna regularly cursed at himin front of other employees, and recalled aconversation in which Dowling said he would votefor former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

In addition to the charges of verbal racialharassment, the guard claims in the EEOC complaintthat Behenna "coerced me to provide a writtenstatement which stated he was not a racist, whichI did."

The guard said he originally did not intend toprovide Behenna with the statement, but thesupervisor harassed him during work hours until hedid. He did not know why Behenna wanted thestatement.

Johnson acknowledged that Behenna had asked forsuch statements, but added that the supervisor hadnot "coerced" anyone.

"He [Behenna] was looking for letters ofsupport--I wouldn't say 'coerced," Johnson said.

The chief also defended the conduct of Dowling,Who is immediately responsible for thedepartment's guard division.

"I think he's been pretty fair in dealing withthese problems," said Johnson. "He's brought themto my attention."

The guard said that other Black and minorityguards have been harassed. Harvard currentlyemploys 108 guards, about a quarter of whom areminorities.

"People are angry," said the guard. "[Theharassment] is so blatant. It's not like a hiddenthing.