Student faces criminal charges after 'rubbing used tampons on black roommate's bag'
A white university student bullied her black roommate by rubbing used tampons on her belongings, spitting in her coconut oil, and sticking her toothbrush “where the sun doesn’t shine,” according to court records.
The University of Hartford student, Brianna Brochu, was banned from campus by a local community court judge after allegedly bragging about her bullying tactics online.
“After 1½ month of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons oh [sic] her backpack, putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn’t shine, and so much more, I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie,” Ms Brochu wrote on Instagram, according to court records.
Ms Brochu has been charged with criminal mischief and breach of peace, as well as intimidation based on bigotry or bias.
She has admitted to licking her former roommate’s plate, fork, and spoon and smearing her own bodily fluid on the victim’s backpack, but denied the other accusations she posted on Instagram, according to the Hartford Courant.
The target of her alleged abuse – former roommate Chenelle Rowe – reported the behaviour to the school and local police after being notified of the Instagram post by a fellow student, Fox61 reports. Ms Rowe recounted the ordeal in a Facebook Live video that has been viewed more than 600,000 times.
“As a young African American woman I don’t want to become another statistic,” Ms Rowe wrote in a separate Facebook post. “When it comes to college incidents/crimes and racial cases justice needs to be served.”
University President Greg Woodward sent a letter to Hartford faculty and students on Tuesday, calling Ms Brochu’s alleged behaviour “reprehensible”.
“Acts of racism, bias, bullying, or other abusive behaviours will not be tolerated on this campus,” Mr Woodward said. “I pledge to do everything in my power to work with our community to address related concerns together.”
He added that Ms Rowe had been quickly relocated after she reported the allegations, and that Ms Brochu had subsequently been arrested by the West Hartford Police Department.
Still, Ms Rowe said she believes the case would have played out differently if the roles had been reversed, because of her race.
“I probably would’ve been locked up,” she told Fox61. “A whole of a bunch of stuff would’ve been done quickly.”
The case has been transferred to Hartford Superior Court, and is scheduled to be heard on 15 November.
