The University of Houston asked students to wear neon vests after police drew a weapon on a black student

Michael Strvato for The Texas Tribune

The University of Houston has dropped a policy requiring theater students to wear vests during outdoor rehearsals. The move was introduced after a campus police officer pointed a gun at a black student while he was rehearsing for the play.

The university’s decision, first reported by the Houston Chronicle, came after it was criticized by students who said the policy placed the burden of their safety on them rather than the police. Students criticized campus administrators and police officers for not recognizing and addressing the traumatic nature of the incident for students of color.

“They wanted something to make sure the students weren’t a threat on their campus so that when the UHPD pulled up they could identify us,” said Brandon Sanders, a senior acting student. “A bright green vest won’t change the color of my skin, and my skin is black.”

On November 4, the University of Houston police received an 911 call reporting that a black man had stabbed a woman on a loading dock behind the campus building next to the School of Theater and Dance.

According to a police report provided to The Texas Tribune by the university, the responding officer drew his pistol in a “low position” and “pointed his weapon in their general direction,” yelling at the students to lie down on the ground and show their hands.

Both students shouted that they were rehearsing and did as they were ordered. The officer returned the gun to its holster and explained that he had received a report of the attack, noting in the police report that he was trying to comfort the students, who were crying and shaking.

It turned out that the student, Domonic Champion, was not holding a knife. It was a white piece of paper that was part of Champion’s script.

University officials say they have reviewed the incident and determined that the officer acted appropriately in accordance with gun attack reporting protocols.

The champion, who is a graduate student, declined to be interviewed for this article. He sent the Tribune a link to the town hall recording where he shared his experience with students and administrators.

“I am terribly aware that this gun was meant for me. I knew from fishing that it was meant for me,” Champion said at the town hall, noting that the barrel of the gun was not aimed directly at him. “I need to know [that] it’s more than a gun. The fact is that the gun was already at the ready, yes. … I need you to understand that I did not feel safe until I heard the voice of the black sergeant.

“I don’t want to ever be known for something like that,” he later said at the town hall.

Champion also told University of Houston Police Chief Sizer Moore at that town hall that when the officer explained what had happened, he was joking.

“He said, ‘You should get an A because you lied to us,'” Champion said.

According to a letter sent to students by Andrew Davies, dean of the McGovern College of Art, the decision to have students wear brightly colored vests was made during a meeting with faculty and a UHPD staff representative to find a way to prevent a similar situation from occurring. The group decided that the faculty should ask the students to wear vests so that they could be identified as actors.

University spokesman Sean Lindsey said the university police chief was not aware of the decision to require outdoor vests until last Tuesday. Lindsey said a UHPD administrator who attended the faculty meeting said he was waiting for more details about the plan before alerting the police chief.

“Requesting student actors to wear vests after the incident was the wrong course of action and was not tested or approved by Police Chief Sizer Moore,” she wrote.

According to the Chronicle, the champion and other graduate students received vests in November. But some students, including Sanders, received them last week. Sanders said he started crying when he realized why he was being asked to wear a vest.

“We just woke up to news of the Tire Nichols hashtag,” Sanders said, referring to the black man who died three days after he was beaten by police during a traffic stop in Memphis. “It could have been the hashtag Domonique Champion. What if he hadn’t given up? What if it was me, the eloquent black boy, who would scold them if they drew their weapons?”

Sanders said he was unaware of the November incident until vests were handed out last week. He and a group of students immediately went to the dean and expressed their concerns about politics.

Davis then sent out an email to the theater school students thanking them for expressing their concern and suggesting an open dialogue with students and administrators the following week.

On Monday, Davis sent out an email to all students at the Katherine McGovern College of the Arts alerting them to the incident and the decision to lift the vest policy, stating “the vests do not solve the problem of providing our students with safe and appropriate rehearsal spaces.” , especially for scenes involving alleged criminal activity or violence.”

“Despite its shortcomings, this was a decision that was sought by all parties in good faith,” Davis wrote. “The University of Houston is a caring community and our top priority is to make sure our students feel safe so they can excel academically and in everything they do on campus.”

Davis also noted that counseling would be available for students. The Dean announced the creation of a new student, faculty, and staff working group to help administrators better respond to student needs going forward.

Shortly after this letter was sent, Davis sent another message to students at the School of Theater and Dance and said he was postponing open dialogue until college management could share solutions “to the extent possible.”

Sanders told the Tribune Tuesday afternoon that students will continue to host their own events where students can share their views on Wednesday. Lindsey said the dean had allowed the students to continue to host their own activities and said he would attend.

“I shouldn’t have identified myself,” said Sanders, who wrote “I’m not a threat” on his vest, which he continues to wear on campus as a symbol of defiance. “There must be more sensitive people to know that I am just a student on campus. Before you draw your gun, take a look at the situation.”

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported non-partisan newsroom that informs and engages Texans in state politics and politics. Learn more at texastribune.org.