In response to the tragic shooting deaths of students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, Brown University has taken action by placing Rodney Chatman, its Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management, on administrative leave. This move comes as the institution seeks to address potential liabilities linked to the incident.

Custodian’s Repeated Warnings About Suspicious Activity Were Overlooked

According to reports, Chatman was at the center of a series of security failures that allowed a shooter to enter the Barus and Holley Engineering building, leading to the deaths of Cook and Umurzokov and injuries to nine others. These failures allegedly included non-functional security cameras that Brown President Christine Paxson initially claimed did not exist, as well as ignored warnings from a custodian about suspicious activity around the building weeks before the tragedy. Additionally, a homeless man residing in the building’s basement, who eventually aided in apprehending the shooter, underscored the lack of effective security measures under Chatman’s leadership.

While Chatman is the first to face consequences, it is suggested that he should not be the only one held accountable for these lapses. President Paxson has already moved to appoint an interim chief of public safety in the wake of these events.

#BREAKING: Brown University confirms their VP for Public Safety and Emergency Management, Rodney Chatman, has been put on administrative leave. Former Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements will serve as interim chief of police, according to Brown. The statement came from university president Christina Paxson who faces her own criticism after telling reporters she doesn’t think cameras would have made a difference, when asked if the university was going to make any changes 

Brown University Custodian Warned Security Multiple Times That Suspicious Shooter Was Casing His Target

As RedState reported, Chatman was Ground Zero for the failures which resulted in a shooter entering the Barus and Holley Engineering building, gunning down Cook and Umurzokov, and injuring nine others. From the (according to some reports) disabled cameras which Brown President Christine Paxson first denied existed, to a custodian’s multiple reports to Chatman about a person casing the engineering building for weeks before the murders, to a homeless man living in the basement of the building (who ultimately helped apprehend the killer) this tragic clown show of gross incompetency, misconduct, technology failures, and sloppy security measures all happened on Chatman’s watch. 

BREAKING🚨: Brown University has placed its DEI-focused Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police, Rodney Chatman, on administrative leave effective immediately—following the devastating December 13 mass shooting on campus that killed two students and injured nine… pic.twitter.com/Jo28wAcddR

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) December 23, 2025

Despite Paxson’s disastrous role, Chatman’s head appears to be the first that will roll, but he definitely should not be the last.

Paxson immediately moved to appoint an interim public safety chief.

Hugh T. Clements Jr., the former longtime Providence police chief, has been tapped by Brown University to lead the school’s public safety operations following a shooting on campus that left two dead and nine injured.

Clements, who first started as a night patrol officer for the Providence Police Department in 1985, moved up the ranks and was promoted to chief in 2012. He was the second longest-serving chief in the city’s history before retiring in January 2023.

Clements will serve as Brown’s interim vice president of public safety, a role held by Rodney Chatman who has been placed on leave. 

Paxson’s days may be numbered as well. The Department of Education now has Brown in the crosshairs for failing to keep its students safe.

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) announced it will conduct a program review of Brown University (Brown) in response to the December 13, 2025, shooting on its campus, which killed two students. The Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will 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.

In the meantime, the university has retained outside counsel.

#FIRSTONFOX: Brown University has retained former United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Zachary Cunha as sources tell me they prepare for possible lawsuits.

Brown shared this statement, “Brown works routinely with outside counsel whose expertise complements…

— Brooke Taylor (@Brooketaylortv) December 22, 2025

#FIRSTONFOX: Brown University has retained former United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Zachary Cunha as sources tell me they prepare for possible lawsuits.  

Brown shared this statement, “Brown works routinely with outside counsel whose expertise complements that of the University’s Office of the General Counsel. In this case, we retained Zachary Cunha, the former United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, to assist the University in coordinating with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.”

That $8 billion endowment may be about to be reduced considerably. The coming months will be ones to watch: Look for new and returning enrollment to the university to nosedive and lawsuits to roll in.

Editor’s Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America’s kids get the education they deserve.

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