Brianna Brochu, the former University of Hartford student accused of smearing body fluids on her roommate’s belongings, makes a brief appearance in Hartford Superior court on Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, with her attorney Tom Stevens.(Patrick Raycraft/Hartford Courant, Pool via AP)
A former University of Hartford student accused of harassing her Black roommate by rubbing bodily fluids on her belongings has been allowed into a probation program that could result in the erasure of her criminal record.
A state judge on Monday, March 12, granted 18-year-old Brianna Brochu’s request for a spot in an “accelerated rehabilitation” program, the Associated Press reported. The misdemeanor criminal mischief and breach of peace charges against Brochu could potentially be dropped after her probation is up, so long as she sticks to the conditions set by the court.
Brohchu was charged and expelled after she posted on Instagram about rubbing blood from used tampons on her roommate’s backpack and sticking her toothbrush “where the sun doesn’t shine.” The teen also told police she licked her roommate’s silverware, poured spoiled clam dip in her lotions and spit in her coconut oil.
Her roommate, Chennel “Jazzy” Rowe, developed a throat infection as a result.
According to AP, Rowe attended Monday’s court hearing and didn’t oppose Brochu’s probation request, saying she hoped her old roommate would “change her ways.”
Civil rights advocates pushed for hate crimes charges in the case, but prosecutors said they lacked sufficient evidence to prove the harassment was racially motivated. Brochu’s attorney, Tom Stevens, argued his client isn’t a racist and that the two teens had a falling out of sorts. Brochu claimed Rowe was rude to her and posted videos of her snoring to social media, so she retaliated.
Stevens apologized on his client’s behalf.
