Harvard Students Accuse University Of Not Keeping Them Safe

CAMBRIDGE, MA — In the wake of the forcible arrest of a black Harvard University undergraduate on April 13, Harvard students are asking for policies at the school to change, saying a gap in communication is what ultimately caused the violent situation that started as a phone call to Harvard to help a student with a medical need and ended with that student being punched by police on Mass Ave.

"Harvard University’s emergency response structure fails its promises to keep its students safe," reads the letter signed by more than 300 Harvard affiliates and at least 20 college groups have signed an open letter to the university demanding reform, Harvard's student newspaper reported Sunday.

The arrest sparked allegations of police brutality and protest across campus. A group of students called Black Students Organizing For Change formed on the heels of the arrest “to hold Harvard University accountable for the safety of community members, particularly Black and Brown students,” according to the open letter.

As of Sunday, 363 Harvard affiliates signed a petition supporting the letter and 22 student organizations have signed the letter itself, the Crimson reports.

According to the letter, the university health services department got a call first about the student in need of "urgent medical care" near the Harvard Common. The health services department contacted Harvard police three minutes later, who transferred the call to Cambridge Police because they were "stretched thin" with during the university's Yardfest concert with only eight officers on duty and five available for patrol, the letter said.

Cambridge Police told reporters they received at least seven phone calls about a disturbance involving a naked man.

"This incident demonstrates, among other things, that HUHS and HUPD are not adequately equipped to protect and assist students in the ways that they should—in the ways we were promised they would," reads the letter.

Cambridge police are reconsidering the charges they filed after they arrested a Harvard student, they announced last week.

Previously on Patch:

Harvard Professors To Represent Black Harvard Student

Mayor: Video Of Cop Punching Black Harvard Student

See the full letter below:

Black Students Organizing in Support of Care - An Open Letter to Harvard University

On April 16, President Faust sent a letter to the Harvard community addressing the violent and “disturbing events” of last Friday. A Black Harvard student was brutally and forcibly arrested by Cambridge Police officers. The purpose of this letter is to share crucial details of the incident and opportunities for action with community members.

When we stepped foot onto this campus as freshmen, Harvard University assured us
that our safety was its top priority. During Opening Days, we were instructed to save the numbers for the Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) and Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) into our phones as the entities dedicated to keeping us safe. This commitment was proven false last Friday when HUHS and HUPD failed to provide assistance to a Black Harvard student experiencing a medical emergency. Instead of providing much needed care, they contacted the Cambridge Police Department, which resulted in a beating that left him hospitalized for several days. This incident demonstrates, among other things, that HUHS and HUPD are not adequately equipped to protect and assist students in the ways that they should—in the ways we were promised they would.

In the days following this incident, a group of concerned Harvard College students formed a coalition to hold Harvard University accountable for the safety of community members, particularly Black and Brown students. We call ourselves Black Students Organizing for Change (BSOC), and we are fighting to ensure that medical emergencies are never met with police violence again.

What Happened

• On Friday, April 13, 2018 at approximately 8:36pm, Harvard University Health Services (HUHS), was notified that a Harvard College student on Massachusetts Avenue, near Cambridge Common and across from Pound Hall, was in need of urgent medical care.
• At approximately 8:39pm, HUHS contacted Harvard University’s Police Department (HUPD), Harvard’s first responders.
• HUPD then transferred HUHS to the Cambridge Police Department (CPD).
• According to a HUPD representative, the area directly across the street from Harvard Law School’s Pound Hall, HUHS’ after-hours urgent care center, is outside of HUPD jurisdiction, and HUPD was “stretched thin” during Yardfest with only 8 officers on duty and 5 available for patrol.
• During the call with CPD, HUHS stated the student was “tripping,” and shared the student’s race at the department’s request. HUHS has yet to confirm that it ever disclosed the student’s need for urgent medical help.
• At approximately 9:08PM, four CPD officers arrived at Massachusetts Avenue and proceeded to circle, tackle, and punch the disoriented student five times while he screamed for help.
• At approximately 9:17PM, the CPD officers notified HUPD that a Harvard student had been apprehended.
• At approximately 9:19PM, HUPD arrived on the scene only to find that the student had already been shuttled into an ambulance. HUPD responders never saw the student’s face.
• A pool of blood remained on the pavement as the ambulance departed. Later, firefighters cleaned up the blood with bleach and water.
• At approximately 9:59PM, the student’s Faculty Dean was informed of the arrest.

What We Believe
Harvard University’s emergency response structure fails its promises to keep its students safe.
Referred to as “disturbing” by both the Mayor of Cambridge and the President of Harvard University, the incident of police violence raised fears about the actions of the Cambridge Police Department and shed light on structural failures of Harvard University’s emergency response policies. We expect Harvard University to fulfill its promises to keep us safe with our campus police force, the Harvard University Police Department. But we cannot trust the University to fulfill that promise, if HUPD cannot adequately respond to emergencies mere feet away from campus property.

Current protocol for urgent medical care involves a four step process: an initial call to HUHS, a second call to HUPD dispatchers, an assessment by the dispatched HUPD officer, and finally a medical transport befitting the student’s condition. A student who needs an ambulance for a medical emergency is personally responsible for the associated fees, which vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars, because ambulatory care is not covered in the mandatory student health fee, and HUHS does not possess an ambulance. The cost is prohibitive for many students on campus and makes us hesitate to call for help.

We are concerned that the onus of responding to Black and Brown students’ needs falls on police. As calls for help from Black and Brown folks are frequently met with police violence, students increasingly mistrust law enforcement. HUPD and HUHS’s inability to respond to the student’s medical emergency and CPD’s use of excessive force has only reinforced that sentiment.

Demands
We find the University’s response measures neglectful and the events of April 13, 2018 unacceptable. We demand the following of Harvard University, Harvard University Health Services, and Harvard University Police Department.

1. Support for any and all of the student’s needs including, but not limited to, legal representation, legal fees, physical and mental health care, associated family expenses, and academic accommodations.
2. An extensive report detailing the chain of causality that led to the incidents of April 13, 2018.
3. Public acknowledgment that inadequate Harvard University protocols jeopardized the security of the student and imperil all students, particularly those of color.
4. The establishment of an internal crisis response team servicing students, faculty, and staff that does not involve law enforcement by August of 2018. The team would respond to medical emergencies, accidents, conflicts, housing issues, etc.
5. A formal designation of all drug- and alcohol-related calls to HUHS as medical emergencies.
6. The acquisition of a University-owned ambulance.
7. The expedited hiring of Black and Brown counselors at Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services.
8. Mental health response training for all HUHS dispatchers and HUPD officers.
9. A commitment by Harvard University to hold the Cambridge Police Department accountable to policing practices that do not involve the use of excessive force in cases of medical emergency.
10. A written commitment to acknowledging and implementing measures that satisfy these demands by May 1, 2018.

Read the full article in the The Crimson: BSOC Letter

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