Meet Briana Brochu, a vile 18-year-old white woman who was kicked out of college for harassing her black roommate, whom she referred to as "Jamaican Barbie."
According to the Hartford Courant, Brochu was expelled from the University of Hartford after she bragged about contaminating the belongings of Chennel Rowe. Brochu went to social media to admit her dangerous stunts, which included rubbing bodily fluids on her roommate’s backpack, spitting in her coconut oil, and putting her "toothbrush places where the sun doesn’t shine."
Brochu was arrested Saturday on criminal mischief and breach of peace charges. The Courant reports she is also facing a hate-crime charge.
The University of Hartford confirmed Brochu’s expulsion on Wednesday. University president Greg Woodward called the incident "deeply disturbing."
"There has been an outpouring of concern for the victim of these acts from across the University and the country. In my meeting with her yesterday, I reiterated my personal commitment to ensuring she has all available personal and academic resources the University can provide," Woodward wrote in a letter to the campus. "It is clear there is work to be done at our University to ensure that all students feel safe, respected, and valued. The conversations that began with student groups, faculty, and staff yesterday are going to continue and involve our full community. I am dedicated to that mission and will continue to share additional information about opportunities for our path forward in meaningful dialogue and action."
Rowe spoke about the ordeal in a lengthy Facebook video posted Monday. She said she didn’t become aware of Brochu’s actions until she was in the process of moving out after weeks of being ignored and disrespected. Rowe also talked about experiencing unexplained throat pain shortly after she had moved in.
She said the pain became so severe she wasn’t able to speak or sleep. Rowe eventually sought medical help after three weeks; however, the antibiotic she was prescribed didn’t help. No one could figure out the source of the pain … until someone showed her Brochu’s incriminating Instagram post.
"The fact that I'm black and my old roommate was white—If the roles was switched, I want to know if it would be handled the same way," she said. "Because I damn well know it wouldn’t."
According to the Courant, Brochu is expected to appear in court on Nov. 15.
