Former University Of Hartford Student Faces Hate Crime Charge In Case Involving Former Roommate
November 2, 2017 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Brianna Rae Brochu faces a hate crime charge in a case involving her former roommate at the University of Hartford, West Hartford Police said Wednesday. The university said Wednesday that Brochu is no longer a student there.
Brochu, 18, was arrested on Saturday after admitting to police that she licked her roommate’s dining utensils and smeared bodily fluid on the woman’s backpack.
University President Greg Woodward, in a press statement, said Brochu’s conduct was “reprehensible’’ and she “is no longer a student at the University of Hartford. She will not be returning to the institution.”
Woodward said, in meeting with the victim on Tuesday, he “reiterated my personal commitment to ensuring she has all available personal and academic resources the University can provide.”
He also said that the University of Hartford “took action immediately” once allegations were brought to the university’s attention.
“It is clear there is work to be done at our University to ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and valued. The conversations that began with student groups, faculty, and staff yesterday are going to continue and involve our full community,” Woodward said.
Appearing before Hartford Community Court Judge Tammy Gaethers Wednesday morning, Brochu was ordered to stay off the University of Hartford campus and not contact her former roommate while her case continues through the court system.
West Hartford police requested the charge of intimidation based on bigotry or bias be added to Brochu’s breach of peace and criminal mischief case, police said Wednesday.
Brochu did not comment during a brief court appearance in Hartford Community Court on Wednesday morning. Her case, under the request of assistant state’s attorney Carl Ajello, was transferred to Hartford Superior Court with a court date of Nov. 15.
Police also said they are in the process of “reviewing the entire case to ensure the proper procedures were followed.”
The victim told West Hartford Police that since the beginning of the school year “she has felt ostracized by Brochu” and that Brochu generally ignored her and that she asked to change rooms.
On Oct. 17, the victim started moving her belongings into her new room and was approached by one of her neighbors, who said she saw some “very concerning posts” on Brochu’s Instagram account, police said. The posts appeared to show Brochu “bragging about how she tampered with [the victim’s] personal items,” police said.
One Instagram post was captioned: “Finally did it yo girl got rid of her roommate!! After 1 ½ month of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions… putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn’t shine, and so much more I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie.”
Brochu told police she “began to lash out due to a ‘hostile environment’ caused by [the victim’s] rude behavior, not compromising, and posting Snapchat videos of me sleeping and making fun of me snoring.” She also told police she requested a room change on Oct. 11, but was unsuccessful.
Brochu did admit she licked her former roommate’s plate, fork and spoon and smeared her own bodily fluid on the victim’s backpack, but denied other accusations she posted on Instagram. She told police that “anything else she bragged about on social media was a lie in an attempt to ‘appear funny.’”
The former roommate posted a 1 ½-hour video on her Facebook page talking about the alleged bullying.
The former roommate told police she had experience what she described as “severe throat pain,” which she attributed to Brochu’s actions.
