Security Officials Deny New Charge By Minority Guard

A University security guard yesterday became the third person in a week of level charges of harassment against supervisors in the security division of the Harvard Police Department.

The guard, a Russian citizen who asked not to be named because he is a political refugee, said security supervisor Thomas Henaghan has harassed him "almost every day" for the past two years.

These charges follow those made by a Black guard who said last week that Manager of Operations for Police and Security Robert J. Dowling and Donald Behenna, another between January and July of 1991.

And a former guard, Rolando Diaz, and Dowling fired him harassed him and Dowling fired him because of his national original.

Dowling ,Police Chief Paul E. Johnson and Vice President and General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 have all denied these charges.

The most recent charges, like the two that preceded it, are sharply disputed by police officials. And nearly two dozen University guard interviewed this week painted vastly different pictures of the treatment of minority guards within the department.

The Russian guard said yesterday he was suspended last month shortly after he had complained about harassment by a supervisor.

But Henaghan said yesterday that he had never Harassed the guard. He said the because the guard warranted close supervision because the guard in the past had been found by supervisors out of uniform, sleeping on the job and away from hispost.

The guard sent a letter on March 11 to Johnsonsaying Henaghan had harassed him on numerousoccasions.

According to documents obtained by The Crimson,the guard was suspended for three days last monthand warned that further infractions of departmentrules would result in permanent dismissal.

In suspending the guard, the department said hehad "purposefully" lied in a hearing held to probethe incident of alleged harassment. The guard wasalso out of uniform at the time, the departmentsaid, another factor resulting in suspension.

But the guard said yesterday that hissuspension was retaliation for his March 11complaint of harassment.

"I sent a complaint to Johnson. He sent it toDowling, and he suspended me," the guard said.

The guard also said Dowling created anatmosphere in the department where bigotry andethnically-motivated harassment are tolerated.

"There is harassment every time," said theguard. "They make jokes about me."

The Russian guard is appealing his suspensionand awaiting a hearing.

Dowling Johnson and Henaghan all said yesterdaythat, like some other guards, the guard claimedfrom his poor job performance.

"That's the normal reaction you're going to getfrom people with this problem," Henaghan said.

In an interview Monday, Johnson defended thesupervisors, directly denying both charges ofharassment.

"How could I, as a Black man, tolerate aracist supervisor?" said Johnson. "That wouldn'tmake sense."

The charges leveled by the guards and theofficials' denials of the charges representopposite poles of perception in the securitydivision of the police department.

In interviews this week, Harvard securityguards came down differently on the issue. Somecorroborated their colleagues' charges some sidedwith the officials. Most said that, while theyhave never personally witnessed harassment,charges of harassment are not unusual.

Some guards downplayed the alleged cases ofharassment, saying that conflict is inevitablebetween co-workers in a guard unit with more than100 employees.

"In any place where you have 100 workers, thereare going to be people who don't get along," saidJim Sullivan, a three-year veteran of the guardunit who is white.

Other guards said the perception ofdiscrimination is due to inconsistent treatment ofdisciplinary cases. They cited cases where guardsof different races were disciplined differentlyfor similar infractions.

"I will say discipline is not consistent," saidone female guard, who is Black. "And I probablythink that's why they think there's racism."

Dowling said discipline varies from case tocase but the division doesn't race as a factor.

Guards who criticized management's treatment ofits employees said harassment within thedepartment may lead to unfair treatment ofundergraduates who are racial of ethnicminorities.

"Lots of students complain and I think it isbecause they bring this to the field," the Russianguard said.

Of roughly two dozen guards approached by TheCrimson this week, only three said they had everwitnessed overt acts of harassment inside thedepartment.

But those three guards suggested that theirco-workers remain silent on the issue because theyfear reprisals.

"It's been blatant--racial problems within theguard unit, stuff has been said to me," said oneBlack guard, who said the word "nigger" had beenused in his presence.

These guards said security management has beenunresponsive to their complaints.

"We've talked to the chief, talked to people,but nothing has been done about it," added theBlack guard.

While some guards criticized management, alager number praised their leaders and Dawling inparticular. "I have never seen racial problems inalmost six years here," said Phil Hajra, a guardin Claverly Hall who is originally from France."Bob Dowling is a good man, a man you respect."

Other guards said representatives of theServices Employees International Union havepropagated false images of racial tension in theunit.

The result of union intervention, these guardssaid, is that less competent guards remain onstaff; they say these guards cry harassment.

"The union just won't let them fire anybody,"said Ronnie Matthews, white guard at Gund Hall whosays he has never seen racial harassment in theguard unit. "And I think the union is part of theproblem."

Some guards echoed police officers' remarks tothe effect that guards who complain of racialharassment are looking for excuses for their ownpoor job performance.

"It would be bad for someone to say, "They didthis to me because I was Puerto Rican or Chineseor Jewish or Black,' when they were wrong in thefirst place," said Douglas A. Allen III, a Blackguard posted in Dunster House.

A majority of guards interviewed said thatguards who perform their jobs correctly will notencounter trouble from supervisors

The guard sent a letter on March 11 to Johnsonsaying Henaghan had harassed him on numerousoccasions.

According to documents obtained by The Crimson,the guard was suspended for three days last monthand warned that further infractions of departmentrules would result in permanent dismissal.

In suspending the guard, the department said hehad "purposefully" lied in a hearing held to probethe incident of alleged harassment. The guard wasalso out of uniform at the time, the departmentsaid, another factor resulting in suspension.

But the guard said yesterday that hissuspension was retaliation for his March 11complaint of harassment.

"I sent a complaint to Johnson. He sent it toDowling, and he suspended me," the guard said.

The guard also said Dowling created anatmosphere in the department where bigotry andethnically-motivated harassment are tolerated.

"There is harassment every time," said theguard. "They make jokes about me."

The Russian guard is appealing his suspensionand awaiting a hearing.

Dowling Johnson and Henaghan all said yesterdaythat, like some other guards, the guard claimedfrom his poor job performance.

"That's the normal reaction you're going to getfrom people with this problem," Henaghan said.

In an interview Monday, Johnson defended thesupervisors, directly denying both charges ofharassment.

"How could I, as a Black man, tolerate aracist supervisor?" said Johnson. "That wouldn'tmake sense."

The charges leveled by the guards and theofficials' denials of the charges representopposite poles of perception in the securitydivision of the police department.

In interviews this week, Harvard securityguards came down differently on the issue. Somecorroborated their colleagues' charges some sidedwith the officials. Most said that, while theyhave never personally witnessed harassment,charges of harassment are not unusual.

Some guards downplayed the alleged cases ofharassment, saying that conflict is inevitablebetween co-workers in a guard unit with more than100 employees.

"In any place where you have 100 workers, thereare going to be people who don't get along," saidJim Sullivan, a three-year veteran of the guardunit who is white.

Other guards said the perception ofdiscrimination is due to inconsistent treatment ofdisciplinary cases. They cited cases where guardsof different races were disciplined differentlyfor similar infractions.

"I will say discipline is not consistent," saidone female guard, who is Black. "And I probablythink that's why they think there's racism."

Dowling said discipline varies from case tocase but the division doesn't race as a factor.

Guards who criticized management's treatment ofits employees said harassment within thedepartment may lead to unfair treatment ofundergraduates who are racial of ethnicminorities.

"Lots of students complain and I think it isbecause they bring this to the field," the Russianguard said.

Of roughly two dozen guards approached by TheCrimson this week, only three said they had everwitnessed overt acts of harassment inside thedepartment.

But those three guards suggested that theirco-workers remain silent on the issue because theyfear reprisals.

"It's been blatant--racial problems within theguard unit, stuff has been said to me," said oneBlack guard, who said the word "nigger" had beenused in his presence.

These guards said security management has beenunresponsive to their complaints.

"We've talked to the chief, talked to people,but nothing has been done about it," added theBlack guard.

While some guards criticized management, alager number praised their leaders and Dawling inparticular. "I have never seen racial problems inalmost six years here," said Phil Hajra, a guardin Claverly Hall who is originally from France."Bob Dowling is a good man, a man you respect."

Other guards said representatives of theServices Employees International Union havepropagated false images of racial tension in theunit.

The result of union intervention, these guardssaid, is that less competent guards remain onstaff; they say these guards cry harassment.

"The union just won't let them fire anybody,"said Ronnie Matthews, white guard at Gund Hall whosays he has never seen racial harassment in theguard unit. "And I think the union is part of theproblem."

Some guards echoed police officers' remarks tothe effect that guards who complain of racialharassment are looking for excuses for their ownpoor job performance.

"It would be bad for someone to say, "They didthis to me because I was Puerto Rican or Chineseor Jewish or Black,' when they were wrong in thefirst place," said Douglas A. Allen III, a Blackguard posted in Dunster House.

A majority of guards interviewed said thatguards who perform their jobs correctly will notencounter trouble from supervisors