In papers filed with the Middlesex County District Attorney's office, Jesse S. Downs '00-'01 claims that Allen allegedly grabbed her arm in the first-floor laundry room. In the police report, both the investigating officers and Downs alleged that Allen had been drinking that night.

Until the incident, Allen had been cited as a model SSI guard--students said they found him friendly and accessible. They said they respected his hard work--he was studying to pass his high school equivalency exam.

But according to Downs, Allen is representative of the larger problem and inadequate security provided by what she calls an "unreliable" company.

"I've often observed behavior such as guards falling asleep, generally not paying attention and hanging out in the DeWolfe laundry room," she says.

Though SSI wouldn't comment on Allen's case, Riley says that the company requires its guards to pass a background check.

"All the precautions that could've been taken have been taken," he says.

Allen will face a criminal trial in Middlesex District Court beginning June 14.

Aside from isolated incidents, administrators say that SSI guards have responded appropriately to unexpected situations, such as a gas line break in Adams House this April. The SSI supervisor on duty gathered guards with knowledge of Adams House and brought them to the building, according to Robert Kotowski, a HUPD sergeant.