"It's been blatant--racial problems within theguard unit, stuff has been said to me," said oneBlack guard, who said the word "nigger" had beenused in his presence.

These guards said security management has beenunresponsive to their complaints.

"We've talked to the chief, talked to people,but nothing has been done about it," added theBlack guard.

While some guards criticized management, alager number praised their leaders and Dawling inparticular. "I have never seen racial problems inalmost six years here," said Phil Hajra, a guardin Claverly Hall who is originally from France."Bob Dowling is a good man, a man you respect."

Other guards said representatives of theServices Employees International Union havepropagated false images of racial tension in theunit.

The result of union intervention, these guardssaid, is that less competent guards remain onstaff; they say these guards cry harassment.

"The union just won't let them fire anybody,"said Ronnie Matthews, white guard at Gund Hall whosays he has never seen racial harassment in theguard unit. "And I think the union is part of theproblem."

Some guards echoed police officers' remarks tothe effect that guards who complain of racialharassment are looking for excuses for their ownpoor job performance.

"It would be bad for someone to say, "They didthis to me because I was Puerto Rican or Chineseor Jewish or Black,' when they were wrong in thefirst place," said Douglas A. Allen III, a Blackguard posted in Dunster House.

A majority of guards interviewed said thatguards who perform their jobs correctly will notencounter trouble from supervisors