LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Many UL Lafayette students gathered on Monday afternoon for what they say is a lack of action from the university following what they called a public suicide of one student.
Family members released the name of the deceased UL student as Basil Brown. The family said Brown committed suicide on April 7 by jumping from a parking tower on campus. Brown’s family released a statement to News 10 regarding Brown’s suicide.
“The Brown family asks for the publics understanding as we grieve the loss of Basil and are making memorial arrangements and travel plans. Basil was loved and inspired by all who knew them. Basil was an accomplished artist, musician, comedian and mathematics wunderkid, being the great, great granddaughter of Frederick Shenstone woods, former head of MIT math department from 1896 to approximately 1936. Also a proud member of the LGBTQ community,” said Brown’s father.
The following day the university released a statement of an unspeakable loss but did not mention a suicide which brought backlash from students. Today’s student protest demanded change in the university policies.
Many gathered with signs demanding change from the university following the death of Brown.
Malek Richard, a local advocate, said the university needs a better emergency notification service.
“We need better ENS notification awareness so that the hundreds of students that saw the body, whether over the phone or in person, didn’t have to do so,” said Richard.
Richard says there needs to be an update in welfare checks as well as the counseling services.
“Saucier Wellness Center is employed by primarily grad students, they are not prepared to handle the numerous tragedies that have occurred on this campus just this week alone and the sheer volume of the tragedies that have occurred,” said Richard.
Richard also believes that the university should take more responsibility for the tragedy.
“We need them to take accountability for the vague response that they gave on the morning of the eighth. We need them to acknowledge that this was a public suicide and that they could have done better by not sweeping it under the rug,” said Richard.
News 10 spoke with Louis Chon, a sophomore UL student who feels the protest is built on missed assumptions.
“It was supposed to be general and it wasn’t supposed to be just, highlighting this one unfortunate event. We had a series of unfortunate events transpire and so I think a lot of people are forgetting that,” said Richard.
Chon says privacy laws and other concerns need to be considered.
“I think that sensitive subjects like this, I think, especially suicide, I think, if you talk about it too much, then that can result in people who are thinking about it being more likely to do it. I think that that has to be kept in mind and I think that people aren’t keeping that in mind. I think they’re kind of swept in the sensationalism of the crowd,” said Chon.
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UL police say they are investigating the allegations made on social media by Brown before their death.
News10 contacted a university spokesperson about the student protest and demands. We were told the university needs time to look over the students’ concerns, and they reiterated that the university offers free counseling services and support.
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