ACLU addresses racial profiling at UMASS

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says it is representing a Black employee of the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) who was reported to police while walking to work, reports the Associated Press. The legal organization indicated Wednesday (Oct. 10) that it was representing UMass-Amherst employee Reg Andrade. As reported by Our Weekly last month, 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 by law enforcement was initiated. The ACLU has launched a “Living While Black on Campus” campaign to help administrators affect change and make the campuses safer for everyone.