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February 17, 2006 > News > Student criticizes Rice Police after being removed from class

Student criticizes Rice Police after being removed from class

By David Brown | Thresher Editorial Staff

Will Rice College senior James Callahan was removed from class Feb. 8 by two Rice Police officers. Officer Yolanda Avalos thought he matched the description of a suspected burglar seen earlier that day in the Humanities Building. Like the suspect, Callahan is black, was wearing black pants and a gray shirt and was carrying a black backpack. However, Callahan is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and the suspect was reported to be 6 feet, 2 inches. Callahan was released to class after a witness confirmed he was not the alleged thief.

Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor said the alleged thief was spotted rummaging in a Humanities Building office but that he escaped before he could be caught. Witnesses’ descriptions of the subject were played on the police radio. Avalos, who was monitoring an event at Baker Hall, saw Callahan walk into the building for his 1 p.m. class. She contacted Sergeant Tina McDuell, her supervisor, and the two entered the classroom at about 1:15 p.m. to ask Callahan to step outside.

Callahan said the officers told him to stand on the steps of Baker Hall with a witness about 30 yards away. The witness initially said Callahan could be the suspect but changed her mind when the officers walked him closer. Callahan said the officers then let him return to class.

Callahan said he thinks RUPD handled the situation improperly and that he has complained to Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman and Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor.

“It was embarrassing to be pulled out in front of my peers like that, not knowing what the professor was thinking,” Callahan said. “It was very disrespectful. I’ve never stolen anything, and to be accused while sitting in class, trying to get an education, is kind of crazy.”

Taylor apologized to Callahan and his class, ECON 435: Industrial Organization, Wednesday. But Callahan said he was unsatisfied with the apology because he wants personal apologies from Avalos and McDuell.

Callahan said the officers could have questioned him before class began.

“I definitely should not have been pulled out of class,” Callahan said. “They could have stopped me before class or come in and gotten me right at the beginning. They could have asked for my ID and could have checked to see if I was a real student. I still would have been upset, but it wouldn’t have hit me as much.”

Taylor said the officers did not violate any procedures. He said witnesses’ height estimations are generally not perfectly accurate. Taylor said students have stolen in the past, so Callahan’s proving he was a student would not necessarily have eliminated him as a suspect.

“They were within acceptable procedures based on circumstances,” Taylor said. “But that doesn’t mean we might not have a better way of doing it.”

Taylor said that out of his discussions with Callahan, he is developing guidelines for officers to use in similar situations in the future. He said one option is for officers to wait until the class is over, but that doing so could pose a threat to other students. Another option, Taylor said, would be for an officer to notify a staff member, who would enter the classroom and tell the professor to ask the student to leave the room.

Forman said he has spoken with Callahan and Taylor and has called the President’s Office in an attempt to find a solution that is satisfactory to Callahan.

“I appreciate the fact that the police always have to make judgments in the moment, but I really would have liked to see this handled differently — in a way that would not have created such an awkward and uncomfortable experience for [Callahan],” Forman said.

Callahan said he thinks RUPD officers have wrongfully suspected black students of crimes in the past.

“I think RUPD may be quick to jump the gun,” he said.

Forman said Callahan’s situation is reminiscent of past incidents at Rice between black students and RUPD.

“My sense is there have been times in Rice’s relatively recent history when some African-American students felt they were not always being treated with sufficient sensitivity by the Rice Police,” Forman said. “My sense is, as a community we have made significant progress in recent years. That’s one reason this event is unsettling. … It brings memories of past events to the surface.”

Taylor said he was not concerned that the incident was discriminatory.

“We weren’t going to the class looking for a black male,” Taylor said. “It is a touchy situation because we try very, very hard to treat everybody the same way, and I think we do. If the description had been of an Asian female, … the officers would have done the same thing.”

End of article

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