Dowling Defends His Race Record

Robert J. Dowling, manager of operations for police and security on Friday called allegations of racial harassment made against him last week "false" and said his record of minority hiring was exemplary.

"Everything I've done in this department has been done by the rules," said Dowling. "I hired these people. I certainly didn't hire them to harass them," he said.

Dowling was responding to charges made by two minority guards last week. One Black guard said he had been racially harassed by Dowling and security supervisor Donald Behenna.

And a former guard Rolando Diaz said, Behenna harassed him. Diaz Also charged that Dowling fired him because of his national origin.

Behenna has refused to answer questions about both allegations.

In an interview Dowling rebutted both charges suggesting that people in the security department were out to get him.

"This has to do with two individuals in this department who have been trying for years to stick it to me," Dowling said.

Also last week Vice, President and General Counsel Daniel Steiner '54 who oversees the police and security divisions said his office had investi- gated allegations of racial harassment in thesecurity guard unit and found them to be withoutmerit.

Dowling also denied two specific charges madeby the Hispanic guard.

Diaz, who worked as a guard from January 25 toJune 22, 1989, said Dowling misled him about hiscareer prospects and fired him because of hisnational origins. Diaz is a citizen of ElSalvador.

"I misled him about nothing," said Dowling,adding that Diaz was fired for other reasonsentirely.

After he was fired, Diaz filed grievances withthe Service Employees Union and the MassachusettsCommission Against Discrimination. Both grievanceswere denied.

The Black guard also filed a grievance withthe union as well as a charge of discriminationwith the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.He said last week that he was harassed more thantwo dozen times between January and July of 1991,mostly by Behenna.

On Friday, Dowling said he understood why theguards had filed the grievances. But he pointed tothe denials of each grievance as evidence of hisinnocence.

"If I was fighting for my job, I would havedone the same thing," Dowling said.

Neither of the Black guard's grievances washeard. According to Steiner, the guard wasreinstated to his job about two weeks after hisfiring, which resulted from a "mistake" by policeand security management.

Steiner said police and security officials hadthought the guard was still in his "probationaryperiod," the first six months of service, duringwhich a guard can be fired for any reason

Dowling also denied two specific charges madeby the Hispanic guard.

Diaz, who worked as a guard from January 25 toJune 22, 1989, said Dowling misled him about hiscareer prospects and fired him because of hisnational origins. Diaz is a citizen of ElSalvador.

"I misled him about nothing," said Dowling,adding that Diaz was fired for other reasonsentirely.

After he was fired, Diaz filed grievances withthe Service Employees Union and the MassachusettsCommission Against Discrimination. Both grievanceswere denied.

The Black guard also filed a grievance withthe union as well as a charge of discriminationwith the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.He said last week that he was harassed more thantwo dozen times between January and July of 1991,mostly by Behenna.

On Friday, Dowling said he understood why theguards had filed the grievances. But he pointed tothe denials of each grievance as evidence of hisinnocence.

"If I was fighting for my job, I would havedone the same thing," Dowling said.

Neither of the Black guard's grievances washeard. According to Steiner, the guard wasreinstated to his job about two weeks after hisfiring, which resulted from a "mistake" by policeand security management.

Steiner said police and security officials hadthought the guard was still in his "probationaryperiod," the first six months of service, duringwhich a guard can be fired for any reason