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Brown Puts Police Chief on Leave as Federal Review Opens Into Campus Safety

Federal reviewers now focus on whether Brown met campus‑safety duties under the Clery Act.

Overview

  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced a Department of Education program review to assess Brown’s compliance with the Clery Act, citing concerns about emergency notifications and surveillance coverage.
  • Federal officials ordered Brown to submit crime logs, annual security reports, emergency notification data and related protocols by Jan. 30 for the compliance review.
  • Brown placed Vice President for Public Safety and Police Chief Rodney Chatman on administrative leave and named former Providence police chief Hugh T. Clements as interim leader.
  • President Christina Paxson outlined immediate safety steps, including expanded camera coverage, accelerated card‑access conversion, increased patrols, and wider use of panic alarms and duress systems, alongside two external safety reviews.
  • A longtime custodian said he repeatedly reported a suspicious man in the Barus & Holley building before the Dec. 13 attack, as officials noted few or no cameras in the older area where the shooting occurred.