A former Vanderbilt undergraduate student has sued Vanderbilt University for arresting him last year, claiming that the university’s police force violated his constitutional rights.
The student, Douglas Norman, was arrested by the Vanderbilt University police twice in 12 months despite, he says, following what he understood as the proper protocol for attending an on-campus meeting and an on-campus basketball game. Davidson County General Sessions Court dropped the charges brought by Vanderbilt against Norman after his arrest.
The case could clarify constitutional protections for individuals against Vanderbilt University’s campus police force, which currently consists of sworn officers commissioned through the Metro Nashville Police Department as well as non-sworn officers — the latter essentially uniformed private security guards. The suit does not, however, directly expose MNPD to civil liability. Norman names two campus officers — Sgt. Alan Reed and a “Captain Stevens” — as well as administrator Jeremy Bourgoin, who Norman believes ordered his second arrest, as defendants.Â
“Vanderbilt University maintains a sub-entity that it refers to as 'Vanderbilt University Public Safety' ('VUPS'), which operates under Vanderbilt’s Division of Administration,” reads the lawsuit. “VUPS is for all practical purposes a police department. Within the geographical territory occupied by Vanderbilt University, VUPS operates as a full-fledged law enforcement agency authorized to exercise the full range of policing powers that are traditionally reserved to the states.”
Norman left Vanderbilt in 2023 as an undergraduate for academic performance. He was first arrested for trespassing while attending a basketball game in November 2023. Norman claims he was given explicit permission from Vanderbilt officers to attend on-campus sporting events prior to his arrest. The school again arrested Norman in April 2024 when he came to campus for a meeting regarding a pending order of protection against his former girlfriend, a Vanderbilt student.
The suit claims Vanderbilt "entrapped" Norman by giving him the impression he was welcome on campus, only to arrest him on site. Norman’s attorneys have requested a jury trial and damages for false arrest and malicious prosecution. Both are Fourth Amendment constitutional violations.
A request for comment from Vanderbilt was not immediately returned.
