Massachusetts

ACLU Represents Black UMass Employee in Profiling Case

The American Civil Liberties Union says it is representing a black employee of the University of Massachusetts who was reported to police while walking to work.

The ACLU announced Wednesday it was representing UMass-Amherst employee Reg Andrade.

An unidentified person called the university's anonymous tip line on Sept. 14 to report a "very agitated" black man carrying a "large duffel bag" who walked into the Whitmore Administration Building. Police responded by closing the building and questioning Andrade, who had just come from the gym.

Andrade said in an ACLU statement that the incident has affected his mental health, causing him to feel "paranoid and unsafe."

No legal action has been initiated.

The ACLU has launched a "Living While Black on Campus" campaign to help administrators affect change and make campuses safer.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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