A CCE student bicyclist, an upset couple with no Guilford affiliation, a Public Safety official, two Greensboro Police Department officers and two traditional students stood outside the Greenleaf Caf on Feb. 2. Off campus, the student riding his bike caused damage to the couple’s car earlier that day.

The biker faced accusations of spitting on and inside the vehicle, denting a door and verbally abusing the driver.

The couple followed him to campus, called the police, parked their car, and proceeded on foot to find the student’s bike sitting by the Greenleaf. The police arrived, notified public safety, and confronted the man regarding his accused offenses.

Police discovered that the man had an outstanding warrant for assault and arrested him.

Two traditional students involved themselves at that point, resulting in unnecessary interference and one student’s detainment (approximately 10 minutes) in handcuffs for failure to comply with police instructions.

They expressed racial concerns as the cause for their interference.

“It was a sensitive issue that could fall either/or [about race],” said Keifer Bradshaw, Security Coordinator, “but it should not have been a problem. These students created a rift that was not there.”

“Being at a small liberal arts school, sometimes students think they can say anything to anyone anywhere – and that works fine within the Guilford bubble,” said Reginald Hayes, Director of Public Safety. “However, this incident is not a college matter. It is a Greensboro police matter that just happened to come onto our campus.”

Both Hayes and Bradshaw maintain the rule that Public Safety yields to any law enforcement officer who steps onto Guilford’s campus.

While the CCE student’s assault and property damage violations and the traditional students’ failure to comply with the police are pending Greensboro Police Department decisions, Campus Life also has the right to implement judicial charges.