A white woman at Yale University, later identified as Sarah Braasch, who was studying for her Ph.D. in philosophy at the school, called police on a black graduate student, Lolade Siyonbola, who was sleeping in the common room of her own dorm, with video coverage of the incident went viral after it was posted on Facebook earlier this month. The school itself has since criticized the incident, claiming that it showcased bias and discrimination.
What happened?
Siyonbola recorded her interaction with Braasch as the Yale Police officers responded to the 911 call. As can be seen in the video, Braasch could be heard saying, “I have every right to call the police you cannot sleep in that room,” while taking photos of Siyonbola.
A second video expanded upon the situation, showcasing Siyonbola talking with police over the situation:
“I deserve to be here. I paid tuition like everybody else. I am not going to justify my existence here. I am not going to be harassed.”
“I was sleeping in the common room and [Braasch] comes in and turns the lights on and was like, ‘Why are you sleeping here? You’re not supposed to be sleeping here. I’m going to call the police.’”
What are people saying about the incident?
According to the Yale Daily News, Braasch reported a black student for being in her hall at least once before, with the incident indirectly involving Siyonbola; another student, identified as Jean-Louis Reneson, told the publication that he filed a complaint against Braasch in March after she called the police on him after he appeared at the building for a meeting with Siyonbola and other students, with Braasch refusing to believe that he was a student.
According to Yale News, Yale’s Vice President for Student Life, Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, also released the following statement:
“I am deeply troubled by an incident that took place Monday night in the Hall of Graduate Studies.”
“One graduate student called the police to report another student in the common area, who had every right to be there. The Yale police officers who responded spoke with both parties and subsequently admonished the complaining student that the other student had every right to be present.”
Who is Sarah Braasch?
According to the school’s official philosophy department website, Braasch obtained two summa cum laude engineering degrees, in aerospace and mechanical, from the University of Minnesota; she also earned her JD from Fordham Law and she is a member of the NYS Bar. Said to be something of an advocate of “secularism and women’s rights advocacy,” her other interests were listed as “applying game theory and cognitive science to the philosophical foundations of law.”
“Her graduating with two summa cum laude engineering degrees from the University of Minnesota, Sarah’s path wound its way into a career in the boutique hotel industry in LA and Miami. Her 30th birthday brought into focus her desire to become an international human rights lawyer, with a focus on women’s sexual and reproductive rights.”
The SF State website also wrote the following about Braasch:
“Her graduating with two summa cum laude engineering degrees from the University of Minnesota, Sarah’s path wound its way into a career in the boutique hotel industry in LA and Miami. Her 30th birthday brought into focus her desire to become an international human rights lawyer, with a focus on women’s sexual and reproductive rights.”
“Her experience with NPS – which fights for universal human rights founded in secularism, gender equality and gender desegregation—alongside her work as a separation of church and state activist, developed her interests in philosophy of law. During her doctoral studies, Sarah will continue her present work in the philosophical foundations of law to attack at the root the problem of the subhuman legal status of women. She aspires to a lifelong career as a legal philosopher and women’s rights advocate. She has recently been invited to present at the 9th International Symposium on Cognition, Logic, and Communication at the University of Latvia in Riga.”