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Howard Student President in Trespassing Flap

By Kerry-Ann Hamilton
Black College Wire

Campus police say two men were seen inside the Bethune Annex Residence Hall, a women's dormitory.

On Nov. 2, two men allegedly entered the Bethune Annex Residence Hall at Howard University and stole a cellular phone; staff members have identified one of the men as Howard University Student Association President Cornell Williamson.

Despite two staff members and a resident identifying Williamson, he initially denied being in the women's residence hall.

"I was never in the building; I have no clue what they [the resident and Annex staff members] are talking about," Williamson said. "From midnight to 3 a.m. I was at a social gathering with at least seven other people, one of whom was a resident assistant in the Annex."

In a later interview, Williamson revised his account.

"I was in the Annex on Friday night and I was not properly signed in," Williamson said. "I was with a friend and he was looking for a female friend, but he did not know exactly what floor."

According to Reginald Smith, chief of campus police, a report of a theft in the building was filed at approximately 12:30 a.m.

"Two male suspects, one identified as Williamson and the other unnamed suspect were allegedly seen inside the building," Smith said. "We are conducting an investigation and if it is proven that there was theft by the alleged suspects there will be criminal sanctions."

The graduate assistant on-call, Camille Coward, said she received a phone call from the front desk that two men were roaming the building unaccompanied. Coward called a resident assistant, Lakiya Emerson, also on call, to accompany her to find the men.

"I was leaving my room on the fourth floor [west wing] when I saw Williamson and another male with braids," Emerson said. "I told them they had to leave and began to escort them downstairs."

Coward left her room on the third floor, also on the west wing of the building, and was able to block the two men, who were then with Emerson in the stairwell.

"When we got to the first floor, the other male [Williamson's companion] attempted to go to the basement," Coward said. "I told them they had to go the lobby. The men also told me they were signed in by 'Lindsey.' "

Emerson checked the identification cards of all the residents who had signed in guests and found no match with a name Lindsey and did not find an identification card for either men.

Meanwhile, Williamson's companion continued to exit the building despite Coward's instructions for him to remain in the lobby of the building.

"Williamson said 'I don't know what is up with my boy, I was just following him'," Coward said. "Williamson then asked me 'Do you want me to get him?' I said no."

Coward further reports that Williamson held the door for her while she went after the other alleged male trespasser.

"He [Williamson], then locked me out of the building, scanned an ID and exited through the garage door on the lower level of the lobby," Coward said. "He drove a white SUV with New Jersey tags to the front of the building and did a rolling stop and his friend jumped in and the vehicle sped off."

The resident, who notified the Bethune Annex staff of the male trespassers, accused the men of stealing her cellular phone.

According to the resident's report, she was leaving a friend's room when she saw two men, one she later identified as Williamson, walking past her door. The two men later spoke to the resident and Williamson left a business card, which allowed her to confirm his identity.

The interim dean of residence life, Franklin Chambers, said the policy for trespassing in dorms usually results in the individual being barred from the building.

"The case involving Williamson has more serious allegations," Chambers said. "We will be adjudicating the case and make our recommendations to the Dean of Special Student Services."

The campus police said the investigation is ongoing.

Kerry-Ann Hamilton is a student at Howard University and campus editor of The Hilltop