Interim police chief, CFO accused of discrimination

Campus police officer submits claim to HR, employee submits Title IX report

A campus police officer and a library employee have filed a discrimination claim and a Title IX report against OCU’s interim police chief and the chief financial officer. 

The officer filed a formal discrimination complaint with Human Resources last week against Interim Police Chief Mark LaHue, according to Steven Vincent, former campus police officer. 

The officer and LaHue declined to comment. In a Sept. 26 interview with Student Publications, LaHue and Chief Financial Officer David McConnell said they were unaware of any complaints. They could not be reached for comment after the previous interview. 

Vincent said he keeps in contact with several officers and was told by the officer who filed the complaint what happened. Vincent said the officer does not want to reveal his identity for fear of losing his job.

“He’s a young officer,” Vincent said. “(Interim Chief) LaHue has been in law enforcement for many years.”

Vincent said the officer, who identifies as openly gay, told him he was in the campus police department last week when LaHue made an inappropriate sexual comment to him. 

Vincent said the exchange was heard by two other officers.

The officers declined to comment. 

After the incident, Vincent said the officer who LaHue’s comment was directed at told another officer about the incident. The officer then confronted LaHue. LaHue called the officer involved in the original incident into his office and accused him of spreading lies, Vincent said. 

“If an allegation is made against a supervisor, they contact human resources,” Vincent said. “LaHue did not contact HR. He called in [the officer], confronted him and tried to intimidate him, tried to make him take it back.”

Vincent said the officer told him of three other previous incidents in which LaHue made homophobic comments toward the officer.

“Anybody in a leadership position should know that that is in no way, shape or form acceptable,” Vincent said.

After the officer told him of the incidents, Vincent said he encouraged him to file a complaint with HR. 

“This is unacceptable,” Vincent said. “The university has a strict policy on sexual harassment and hostile work environments, and this falls under that, of course.”

LaHue’s position makes officers afraid to speak out about the issues, Vincent said.

“LaHue drops these little sexual innuendos daily,” Vincent said. “In that department, they’re scared of chiefs, so they don’t want to come forward.”

Campus police must have a chief that respects diversity and is maybe even part of a minority community, Vincent said.

“If he harbors these opinions about gay people, he doesn’t need to be in any law enforcement capacity,” Vincent said. “I don’t know how they can keep LaHue as a campus police officer if there’s valid and verifiable information.”

Taylor Downey, youth ministry junior and Title IX program coordinator, said once a claim is submitted, officials begin investigating and interview witnesses that have been named or are related to the situation. 

“If an employee has a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable, Title IX works behind the scenes to make accommodations,” she said.

Because of the recent events involving discrimination, Downey said she is disappointed by these latest allegations.

 “It’s really unfortunate that all these things are happening at once on our campus with so many instances of discrimination that make people feel uncomfortable for who they are,” she said. “It’s especially unfortunate because we have had so much turnover in our police department. It makes me wonder, are we ever going to get to a good enough place where we have some established good people working on campus?”

Campus police officers have a duty to make students feel safe on campus, Downey said. 

“A police officer’s job first and foremost is upholding the law and keeping people safe, and so creating an environment where people feel discriminated against for being who they are, that is not a safe environment,” she said.

Anthony Edwards, Dulaney-Browne Library circulation technician, said he submitted a Title IX report on Sept. 26 to Kristie Pendleton, civil rights investigator, after hearing from multiple officers in campus police that Chief Financial Officer David McConnell, who oversees campus police, made an inappropriate sexual comment about a case he oversaw at a previous police force during a meeting with campus police officers. 

Edwards wrote that McConnell was telling a story about a female who was experiencing a mental crisis and had disrobed. 

“He related that his daughter had asked him if she had ‘crazy eyes,’” Edwards wrote in the report. “He responded with, ‘I don’t know what her eyes looked like darlin,’ but I saw her perky little breasts.’”

Edwards wrote he has confirmed that all staff at the police department were present for the meeting. 

“This is not okay from anyone on campus, much less an individual who is currently overseeing the police department,” he wrote in the report.

Vincent said he hopes university officials won’t hide from these issues, which will only make them worse.

“I love that campus,” Vincent said. “I wish it would do better,” he said.  

Vincent said he was terminated in June of this year after attending a former dispatcher’s unemployment hearing. He said he had heard nothing but positive feedback before he was terminated and was given no reason for his termination. Vincent said he has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Vincent said he has heard that officials are considering transitioning from a campus police department to campus security. 

“I worked there in 1991 and 2001 when it was armed security instead of police officers. I believe the campus is ultimately better with a police department,” Vincent said. “They need to rebuild, not demolish and hire people who can’t provide as much security.” 

Vincent said when he worked under former Police Chief Rusty Pyle, he never experienced any kind of inappropriate behavior. 

“I think his mistake was that he backed Kavenius even when Kavenius was wrong,” Vincent said. “I personally never witnessed racist, homophobic or inappropriate behavior from him.”S

Vincent said it is a common sentiment in many police departments to back other police officers, no matter what.

“I don’t care about the ‘thin blue line’, I care about doing what’s right,” he said. “For the student population, for the staff, keeping them safe. They should feel secure, protected and respected by the police department.”