A Connecticut college student who allegedly smeared bodily fluids on her roommate’s things is now facing criminal charges in an incident that is being labeled as a hate crime.
West Hartford Police arrested former University of Hartford student Brianna Brochu, 18, Saturday and charged her with with one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief and one count of breach of peace for the alleged incident, WTIC reported.
Brochu may face additional charges, as police asked the judge to add a felony bigotry charge that would classify the incident as a hate crime.
Police say Brochu told them she placed her bodily fluids on her roommate’s backpack and licked her roommate’s utensils out of frustration with her roommate’s rude behavior.
Brochu’s former roommate, freshman Chennel “Jazzy” Rowe, tells a different story.
Rowe said in a two-hour long Facebook live video posted Monday that her roommate allegedly harassed her and that she had been made to feel “unwelcome” in their dorm room.
“Out of nowhere, it’s like I was existing for once since I moved in,” Rowe said in the video. “She made a face; said, ‘okay’ and then I seen her texting on her phone. I assumed that she was just telling all her friends that I was moving out.”
Her post has been viewed more than 1.2 million times and has gained national media attention since she shared the video Monday.
Rowe told NBC News that she thinks the incident had been racially motivated after discovering from a Resident Advisor (RA) that Brochu allegedly posted on Instagram about the harassment.
“Finally did it,” the post allegedly read, according to Rowe. “After one and half months of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons on her backpack, putting her toothbrush places where the son doesn’t shine, I can finally say goodbye to Jamaican Barbie.”
“Rubbing bloody tampons on my things, so like she posted pictures of my Steve Madden bag that I had been sleeping next to the whole time on my bed with blood stains on it,” Rowe told WTIC Tuesday.
Rowe said she notified the school October 17, after which the university instituted a “no-contact order” and turned over the case to the West Hartford Police.
University of Hartford President Greg Woodward said in a statement that Brochu had been expelled for her “reprehensible” behavior.
“She will not be returning to the institution,” Woodward said.
“It is clear there is work to be done at our University to ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and valued,” he added. “The conversations that began with student groups, faculty, and staff yesterday are going to continue and involve our full community.”
Other people have taken up Rowe’s cause, holding a protest Wednesday and starting the hashtag “Justice for Jazzy” on Twitter.
Brochu is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court November 15, the Hartford Courant reports.