A Change.org petition posted earlier this month accuses an unidentified Rhode Island School of Design public safety officer of harassment, inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct, and calls on the college to remove the officer from campus. The petition, created by a user identified as Fiona Y., had drawn more than 700 signatures and had been shared more than 500 times as of Monday night.
According to the Brown Daily Herald, the petition alleges the officer pursued and harassed students both in person and online, including through repeated unwanted social media messages, by seeking them out in their studio workspaces, and by identifying them through their vehicles and clothing. The petition outlines three separate incidents involving two students and the officer, and it attributes its own creation to what the author describes as dismissal and inaction by RISD's Equity and Compliance office after being alerted to the events. The petition requests that RISD administration immediately conduct an impartial investigation, put protective measures in place for the students affected, and consider removing the officer from the school.
RISD Responds Without Confirming the Officer's Status
A petition update posted the day after it went live said RISD had begun an investigation and had barred the officer from campus, though that account has not been independently confirmed. The update also said the officer's name had been omitted from the petition for legal reasons, and it asked anyone with further information to email RISD's Equity and Compliance office directly.
RISD said in a statement that it is aware of the allegations and has taken appropriate steps to address concerns regarding campus-community safety, per the same account relayed through senior director of public relations Jaime Marland. The school said it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind and that it responds to all reports of misconduct, including discrimination and harassment, in accordance with its policies. Marland did not confirm whether the officer had been removed, saying federal confidentiality laws prevent RISD from commenting on the specifics of the matter.
A Student's Account of a Friend's Experience
Oliver Maxwell, a sophomore at RISD, told the Brown Daily Herald he had not been aware of the petition until he was contacted for comment, but said he had heard a friend's personal stories describing a traumatic experience with the public safety officer, including that she had become hesitant to spend time in her own studio. Maxwell said he supports removing the officer. The petition's creator declined to comment when reached by the paper.
How RISD Handles Misconduct Complaints
RISD's Equity and Compliance office says people can report incidents in person, by mail or email, by phone, or through an online reporting form, and that it can offer assistance and protective measures regardless of whether someone files a formal complaint, according to RISD Equity & Compliance. The office says it responds to complaints involving bias, discrimination, harassment, sex-based misconduct and Title IX, per the RISD Student Hub's posted policies and procedures.
The specifics of what powers a RISD public safety officer holds remain notable context here. RISD's 2025 annual security report states that its public safety personnel are not sworn or commissioned officers and have no official arrest powers, though they may investigate incidents and detain individuals until local police arrive, according to the Rhode Island School of Design. That stands in contrast to a 2011 Brown Daily Herald report, which described a state law that would grant RISD officers peace-officer status with search, detention and arrest powers after training — though the same report noted that, at the time, none of RISD's officers had yet been sworn in.
The investigation's status, findings or ultimate outcome have not been disclosed, and RISD has not confirmed whether the officer named in the allegations remains employed by the school or barred from campus. For now, the petition remains the public record of the allegations, with students and the college both watching how RISD's response unfolds.
