On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into Brown University after a campus shooting on Dec. 13 that killed two students and injured nine others.
Investigation Begins
The Department said its Office of Federal Student Aid would “investigate if Brown violated Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act, otherwise known as the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), which requires institutions of higher education to meet certain campus safety and security-related requirements as a condition of receiving federal student aid.”
Immediate Campus Response
Brown President Christina Paxson released a message to the school community outlining new security measures, an after-action review, and a security assessment. She announced that campus police chief Rodney Chatman had been placed on leave and that former Providence Police Department chief Hugh T. Clements would serve as interim vice president for Public Safety and chief of police.
Details of the Shooting
The mass shooting on Dec. 13 left students Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov dead and nine others injured. Authorities later reported that the shooter, Claudio Neves Valente – a former Brown student also implicated in the killing of Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts – was found dead at a New Hampshire storage facility.
Department of Education’s Request
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Monday that the Department is “initiating a review of Brown to determine if it has upheld its obligation under the law to vigilantly maintain campus security.” She added that “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 Department cited reports of delayed emergency notifications and concerns about the university’s surveillance and security system. “If true, these shortcomings constitute serious breaches of Brown’s responsibilities under federal law,” the Department wrote.
The school was asked to submit by Jan. 30, 2026:
- Copies of the original 2024 and 2025 Annual Security Reports (ASRs) and any revised versions, plus evidence of distribution;
- An audit trail of all crime incidents (2021-2024) and arrests made by BPS or other agencies, plus referrals for disciplinary action related to weapons, drugs, or liquor violations included in the ASRs;
- BPS activity/dispatch/call logs (2021-2025);
- Daily crime logs (2021-2025);
- A list of all Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications (2021-2025) with descriptions of media used;
- All policies and procedures related to timely warnings, emergency notifications, daily crime logs, evacuation, and any assessments of campus safety policies since 2020;
- The full set of BPS standard operating procedures for dispatch, response, reporting, arrests, and active-shooter protocols.
Paxson’s Letter to the Community
In her letter, Paxson thanked the Public Safety officers for their rapid response, noting that “the response of Brown’s Public Safety officers to the Dec. 13 shooting has been praised by the other law enforcement agencies that assisted Brown on that terrible day.” She highlighted that officers were first on the scene minutes after the shooting and that their actions saved lives.
She outlined three immediate actions:
- A rapid-response team focusing on safety and security during winter break and before the Spring 2026 semester.
- An external After-Action Review of the Dec. 13 incident, covering the period leading up to the shooting, the event itself, and the emergency response.
- An external comprehensive Campus Safety and Security Assessment of the Brown campus, including College Hill and the Jewelry District, with on-site physical security evaluation.
Both reviews will be overseen by a committee of the Brown Corporation and will be shared with the community and the public.
Interim Leadership and Continuity
Paxson confirmed that Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management Rodney Chatman is on leave effective immediately. Hugh T. Clements, former chief of the Providence Police Department and former director of the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, will serve as interim VP and chief of police, reporting directly to Paxson.
Enhanced Security Measures
The university has doubled police and security personnel and increased patrols through interagency cooperation. New safety measures are set to be in place before Jan. 6, including:
- Expanded physical safety staffing and visibility across buildings and pedestrian corridors;
- Conversion of key-based access buildings to card access on an accelerated timeline;
- Additional security cameras at key locations such as Barus & Holley;
- Expanded panic alarms and duress systems, especially in front-facing service areas and late-night operations;
- Ongoing event security reviews for high-attendance activities.
Operational ramp-up plans also address the phased return of students, faculty, and staff, ensuring campus security during increased population density.
The School of Engineering and Department of Physics complex, including Barus & Holley, Lassonde Innovation and Design Hub, and the Engineering Research Center, remain closed. The Classroom Assignments webpage on the Office of the Registrar’s site now requires Brown credentials, and the Classroom and exam locations in Courses@Brown also require credentials.
Future Funding and Antisemitism Concerns
In the summer, Brown reached an agreement with the Trump administration to restore federal funding. The government said in April it intended to halt nearly $510 million in contracts and grants over Brown’s handling of antisemitism.
Key Takeaways
- The Department of Education has launched a review to determine if Brown complied with the Clery Act after the Dec. 13 shooting.
- President Paxson announced interim leadership, an after-action review, and a comprehensive safety assessment, while doubling security presence.
- Brown must submit extensive documentation by Jan. 30, 2026, covering security reports, crime logs, policies, and procedures.
The investigation and the university’s response underscore the critical importance of campus safety and the federal government’s role in ensuring institutions protect their students and comply with federal law.
