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Colby officer put on leave
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BY SCOTT MONROE
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 05/14/2009

WATERVILLE -- A Colby College campus security officer was placed on paid administrative leave in connection with an incident on April 12, pending the outcome of an internal personnel investigation, a college spokesman said Wednesday.

David Eaton declined to release any more information about the officer. Eaton said he himself had just learned about the action on Wednesday and did not know when it took place.

Meanwhile, students, law enforcement and other officials offered mixed reactions to the findings of Colby's investigation into the Easter morning incident when two students were arrested. Most who were interviewed agreed that the 29-page report, written by independent consultant Ralph Martin II, was generally fair and thorough.

The report was released on Colby's Web site Tuesday evening. It concludes that campus security officers acted properly when they tried to prevent two students from interfering with the medical assessment of another student. The student was found sleeping on a couch in a common area after a dance.

The report also finds fault with the length of time student Ozzy Ramirez, 22, was pinned to the floor and the aggressive actions of another security officer. Ramirez and fellow student Jacob Roundtree, 21, were arrested for allegedly interfering with security.

Kennebec County District Attorney Evert N. Fowle said Wednesday that he read the report carefully and thinks it is thorough and detailed. But most of the report deals with issues internal to Colby, Fowle said.

"I don't interpret this report as having much impact on actions my office might take," he said.

Fowle said his office has delayed making a decision on criminal charges against Ramirez and Roundtree to allow people a chance to step forward with information. He said he expects to file charges soon.

Waterville lawyer Jason Jabar, who is representing Ramirez, said his client would not comment directly on the report. Jabar said he disagreed with some of Martin's conclusions but he thought the report was fair.

Jabar also said the report exonerates his client of any criminal wrongdoing. Jabar said the report shows that security officers were aggressive and violent, and his client was not.

"It bothers me," Jabar said, that the district attorney would still file charges against Ramirez in light of the report.

Ramirez "is being brought through the ringer on a criminal assault charge. It raises questions of fairness for me," Jabar said. "He didn't raise a hand to anybody. It's concerning, it's discouraging, it's frustrating."

Eaton, the Colby spokesman, said Wednesday that President William D. Adams would not comment on the report beyond what Adams already said in an e-mail sent Tuesday to the college community. Adams said the report was "thorough and meticulous," and the college hasn't decided yet how to respond to its recommendations.

Students, police respond

Of about 50 Colby students queried on campus Wednesday -- the first day of the college's final exam period -- eight said they read Martin's report and expressed an opinion about it.

Many students thought the report was fair, but also had criticisms. Many said they were especially irked by President Adams' e-mail because it glossed over the report's criticism about the college security staff.

Michael Johnsen, 19, a sophomore, pointed out that the report said one security officer behaved "unprofessionally and improperly and used improper force" by pushing a student down stairs and against a wall, slapping a student's identification card out of his hand, and grabbing a female student by the arm.

"That was probably the most damning thing in the report and (Adams) failed to mention it," Johnsen said.

Emily Bahrdestefano, 18, a freshman, said she disagreed with the report's conclusion that race was not a motivating factor in the incident. Some students have made that claim, pointing out that several white security officers pinned two students of color on the floor.

"I think it is a racial issue; it was a gross overreaction," she said. "I do think security overreacts a lot of the time. They should be looking out for the safety of students."

Nikolai Barnwell, 24, a senior, said he was "quite shocked" after reading the report and was especially taken by the report's findings that security had used improper force in some instances.

"It's bad timing," Barnwell said, noting it's finals week and many students are leaving campus. "I think (the college administration's) big hope was it would blow over."

Ena Lupine, 21, a senior, thought the report "was really biased toward security" and also thought that it "was quick to overlook how racism played a role."

Martin's report primarily describes the specific events of the April 12 incident, though it offers some comment on the campus culture and environment, saying security officers, students, faculty and staff view the incident as "being representative of a decline in the level of engagement and respect, particularly between security officers and students."

"Students have complained that security officers seem to have the discretion to make decisions that favor certain groups, individuals or circumstances; security officers believe that respect for their function seems to be declining; and administrators are concerned that alcohol-related incidents and disorder take up the brunt of security's working time, particularly on the weekends," the report says.

Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said he supports the college's investigation and intent, though he disagrees with the report's statement that police "are, understandably, inclined to enforce the law and control the scene, and they lack tolerance for the kind of give-and-take that may be part of the culture of the college."

"I believe discretion and professionalism characterize the police contact with our community," Massey said. "I think we very much show tolerance when we respond."

Staff writer Amy Calder contributed to this report.

Scott Monroe -- 861-9253

smonroe@centralmaine.com

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