Brown police chief steps aside, replaced by former Providence police head

Rodney Chatman, the Brown University police chief who was put on administrative leave after last year's mass shooting at the school, is out of a job.

Chatman accepted an approved settlement from the university on Tuesday.

Former Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements has been chosen to replace Chatman. He had been serving as Brown’s interim police chief and vice-president for public safety since Dec. 22.

In a joint statement, Brown President Christina Paxson and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Sarah Latham expressed their excitement following Clements’ appointment.

“Chief Clements brings an extraordinary combination of Rhode Island law enforcement leadership, national policy experience and a deep commitment to community-centered policing that position him to effectively lead public safety efforts at Brown,” Paxson and Latham wrote.

Clements is a former head of the Providence police department who worked on the force for 38 years. He recently spent two years at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Chatman was placed on administrative leave amidst concerns about security at Brown and the university’s emergency notification system in the wake of the Dec. 13 mass shooting.

Chatman’s tenure at Brown had been marred by accusations of a toxic work environment and no confidence votes from two police unions.

Chatman filed a petition against Brown University in Worker’s Compensation Court in March.

The petition is confidential, according to a court spokesperson. But a ruling by Judge Robert Ferrieri on Tuesday says Chatman “failed to prove that he sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of his employment.”

The judge also approved a settlement between Chatman and the university.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Ocean State Media.