The Education Department is investigating whether a campus shooting at Brown University earlier this month that killed two students violated the Clery Act.
“The department is conducting a review of Brown University to determine whether it met its obligations under the law to vigilantly maintain campus safety after two students were shot and killed in a Brown University building,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release announcing the investigation on Monday.
The release also questioned whether Brown’s video surveillance system “met appropriate standards” and accused the university of being “unable to provide useful information about the alleged assassin” after the shooting.
The suspected shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown University student, escaped capture and was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a five-day manhunt. While some observers blamed Brown for substandard security measures that critics said delayed the capture of the suspected shooter, others blamed the FBI for botching the search.
The ED is also investigating whether Brown’s emergency notification about the shooting was delayed.
The department requested a variety of records to assist in the investigation, including copies of annual security reports; criminal records; student and employee disciplinary actions “related to the unlawful possession, use and/or distribution of weapons, drugs or alcohol”; and copies of all Brown policies and procedures, and other campus security documents.
The same day the Education Department announced its investigation into Brown, the private university in Rhode Island placed its top campus security official, Rodney Chatman, on administrative leave while it reviews the shooting. Hugh T. Clements, the former chief of police for the Providence Police Department, will assume the top public safety position while Brown conducts his security review.
Brown University officials did not respond to requests for comment. Inside higher education.
