Brown University police chief put on leave, Dept. of Education launches review of safety
Brown University is moving forward with a series of safety and security steps following the deadly shooting on campus this month that left two students dead and nine others injured.
The Ivy League university's announcement comes the same day the Department of Education announced it would be reviewing the school for potential Clery Act violations.
Brown University's review includes putting Rodney Chatman, the vice president for public safety and emergency management for the school on leave, effective immediately, the university's president announced on Monday.
The former chief of police of the Providence Police Department, Hugh T. Clements, will serve as interim chief.
In a message to the campus community, President Christina H. Paxson said the university will first focus on immediate safety measures through a rapid response team working to ensure the campus remains secure during winter break and ahead of the Spring 2026 semester.
The university will also hire outside experts to conduct an after-action review of the shooting. That review will examine campus safety conditions leading up to the incident, how the university prepared for and responded on the day of the shooting, and how emergency response efforts were handled afterward.
The Department of Education said on Monday its Office of Federal Student Aid will investigate if Brown violated Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act, otherwise known as the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, which requires institutions of higher education to meet certain campus safety and security-related requirements as a condition of receiving federal student aid.
"The Department is initiating a review of Brown to determine if it has upheld its obligation under the law to vigilantly maintain campus security,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement. “Students deserve to feel safe at school, and every university across this nation must protect their students and be equipped with adequate resources to aid law enforcement."
"The Trump Administration will fight to ensure that recipients of federal funding are vigorously protecting students’ safety and following security procedures as required under federal law," McMahon added.
The Clery Act requires colleges and universities receiving federal student aid to annually share a report on campus crime and details about the efforts taken to improve campus safety, "including timely issuance of campus alerts and safety procedures to the campus community," according to the Dept. of Education
The Department said it can fine universities that have violated the Clery Act and "may require them to make policy changes to come into compliance with the law."
In the statement on Monday, Brown University also announced it will launch a comprehensive external safety and security assessment of its campus. The review will look at existing policies, procedures, training and security infrastructure, including building access, cameras, and other safety technology. The assessment will build on security improvements already underway.
Both reviews will be overseen by a committee of the Corporation of Brown University, which will approve the outside organizations conducting the work. University leaders said they plan to share key findings with the campus community and the public.
