Davis Email
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Houston ChronicleFrom: On Behalf Of Davis, Andrew
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2023 12:13 PM
To: Davis, Andrew <adavis5@Central.UH.EDU>
Subject: Statement on the incident of November 4, 2022
McGovern College Faculty, Staff, and Students:
Some of you may have heard descriptions of an incident that took place last November involving two
students and the University of Houston Police Department. Many of those descriptions have not
included all the pertinent facts about the incident, and I want to ensure that there is full transparency
about what transpired.
On November 4, 2022, UHPD dispatch received a call from a witness (a University of Houston student)
reporting what they believed to be a man assaulting a woman at the loading dock behind Science and
Research Building 2 and adjacent to the School of Theatre & Dance. UHPD officers responded, while the
witness stayed on the phone with dispatch and reported their ongoing observations. Upon the lead
officer’s arrival at the scene, the reporting witness indicated to the officer that the supposed assailant
was holding a knife. In response to this report by the witness, the officer drew his sidearm, without
pointing it at the supposed assailant. The officer’s action in response is standard protocol for any report
of an alleged assault involving a weapon.
Upon quick assessment of the scene, the lead officer determined that the supposed assailant was not
armed. The officer then holstered his sidearm and engaged with the man and woman to determine
what was happening. They learned that, rather than an actual assault taking place, two of our student
actors were rehearsing a scene involving screaming, arguing, and a physical struggle.
The matter was fully reviewed, and it was determined that the UHPD officer acted appropriately and
according to protocols for a call reporting an assault involving a weapon. The incident was further
reviewed by the parent of one of the actors involved in the incident, and the parent agreed with the
actions taken by UHPD. Ultimately, there was no crime committed, and there was no threat to the
safety of the campus.
After the incident, School of Theatre & Dance faculty held a planning meeting with a staff representative
from UHPD, with the intent of determining strategies that would protect our students and prevent this
from happening again. The outcome of that meeting was for faculty to ask students to wear brightly
colored safety vests while rehearsing outdoors in public areas, in order that they be more readily
identified as working actors.
In recent days, School of Theatre & Dance students have shared with me and our faculty concerns about
the wearing of safety vests while rehearsing outdoors as an appropriate strategy to protect our
students. I hear these concerns and recognize that this proposal is neither the right course of action nor
one that was clearly communicated to students or fully vetted and approved by the University of
Houston or University of Houston Chief of Police Ceaser Moore. Among other concerns, vests do not
address the issue of providing our students safe and appropriate rehearsal spaces, especially for scenes
involving purported criminal activity or violence. Therefore, the School of Theatre and Dance has
retracted this proposal and will not ask students to wear vests.
Despite its shortcomings, this was a solution that was arrived at with the best of intentions on all sides.
The University of Houston is a community that cares, and our top priority is for our students to feel safe
so that they can be successful in their studies and in everything they do on campus.
I recognize that despite the appropriateness of the actions by the responding UHPD officer, these
situations can be troubling to those directly or indirectly involved, especially considering the lack of
complete information, and misinformation, in the public dialogue surrounding the incident. To address
this concern, McGovern College leadership has coordinated with University of Houston Counseling and
Psychological Services to provide free, on-site counseling support services in the School of Theatre &
Dance. A CAPS licensed clinician will be available in room 133A to talk with students, faculty, or staff
during the following times:
• Monday, January 30, 12:30 pm–2:00 pm
• Tuesday, January 31, 11:00 am–12:30 pm
Please also note the additional services and opportunities offered by CAPS, including the ‘Let's
Talk’ program and the private, individual counseling services available at the Health 2 Building on
campus, room 2005, Monday through Friday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. No appointments are
necessary. If you would prefer to connect with CAPS virtually or by phone, you may call 713-743-5454 at
any time.
I want to assure you that McGovern College leadership is taking the necessary steps to review our
protocols and procedures in order to ensure that we provide you with appropriate rehearsal space and
safety protocols that reduce the potential for public alarm, confusion, or misunderstandings. College
leadership is working together to make sure that we address these concerns immediately. To this end, I
will be establishing a college-wide working group of students, faculty, and staff, with representatives
from each area of the College, to help the administration better respond to your concerns and needs
moving forward. We are committed to implementing protocols and controls that have your safety, and
the safety and well-being of our entire campus, in mind.
If you are interested in serving on the working group or have any questions, please contact me directly
at adavis@uh.edu or 713-743-3294. On behalf of the College leadership and faculty, please know that
our doors are open.
Sincerely,
Andrew Davis
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Andrew Davis
Dean, Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts
Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair
University of Houston
email: adavis@uh.edu // phone: 713 743 3294
3700 Cullen Blvd. E128
Houston TX 77204-4039
http://www.uh.edu/kgmca/
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