Yale honours black girl wrongly reported to police over insect project – video report
Yale University and its President, Peter Salovey, honoured a black girl who was wrongfully accused of ‘stealing’ after participating in an insect project. The girl along with other students were taking part in a project to learn about insects when the security guard got involved and informed the police of the situation.
A series of unfortunate events
The incident began when a Yale Security guard saw a young black girl, who incidentally was the only child of color in the group, collecting an insect in a paper cup with other students on the university’s north campus. The girl was immediately taken to the security office and was questioned for nearly 45 minutes.
The group of students were all researching the same entomology project, which the security guard was not aware of. As a result, the girl was accused of trying to steal the insect and the police were called by the security guard to investigate.
Yale’s response and an apology
The University was quick to respond to the incident. President Salovey issued a statement apologizing for the “unacceptable” incident and announced that the school would investigate the incident and evaluate its security policy.
In addition, President Salovey invited the girl, her parents, and her teacher to a meeting at Yale to discuss the incident and honor her for her scientific research. The girl was presented with a certificate and Yale pen as a show of appreciation for her efforts.
Final Thoughts
The incident highlights the importance of understanding and awareness of different environments and communities. It is essential for any security personals to show respect for all, regardless of race or background.
In addition, we should also strive to promote science education, especially among minority communities, so that all students can have access to the same quality educational experiences.
Points to Consider
- Educating security personnel on being mindful and observant.
- Promoting science education among minority communities.
- Acknowledging the efforts of students.
On Wednesday 19th February 2020, the prestigious Ivy League university Yale College reportedly threw a celebratory event honouring a standout female student, who was wrongfully reported by a university administrator to the local police in the summer of 2019. The incident was caused by a misunderstanding that revolved around a common garden insect project.
The student’s name is Haven Burton, and Yale College recently held an event at the university’s President’s House in celebration of her success as a student in recognition of the incident. At the event, Haven Burton was given a $32,000 scholarship towards her studies.
The events that took place in summer 2019 are as follows. Haven Burton, a biological sciences student at Yale College, was participating in a project that involved collecting insect specimens from a nearby park. As she was working, an administrator independently reported Haven to the police fearing that she was collecting insects illegally. The misdemeanor call to the police sparked immediate media attention and received criticism of perceived racial profiling.
The incident was resolved, but Haven Burton was left feeling embarrassed and disrespected. She wrote a letter detailing her feelings and the university responded by issuing a formal apology. Yale College officials further expressed that they were “enormously sorry for the events and their demonstrable impact on Ms. Burton’s daily life and education”. They went on to add that “Haven Burton’s application for admission to Yale demonstrated she was a remarkable person with extraordinary talents and intellect.”
On a positive note, following the apology issued by the college and the event that took place to recognize Haven Burton’s success, Yale College has also taken steps to ensure that similar incidents do not take place in the future. A Yale College spokesperson said, “the university has actively taken steps to review and discuss the incident (with administrators and faculty) as part of a campus-wide initiative to ensure that all campus members are supported and respected.”
The incident surrounding Haven Burton has been a stand-out example of how racial profiling and the subsequent negative implications can be avoided in the future. Hopefully it will also be seen as an inspiring example of how universities should support and honour the achievements of their students.
