I did. I asked Brenae if she wanted to initiate formal sexual harassment proceedings with the college. She said that “a specific perpetrator, a specific victim” wasn’t the point. I remember those were her exact words. I told her that no one would see a symbol when they saw that footage. They would see a man. And they would see her. And she could get sued. I don’t think she anticipated how much damage she could do to herself.

Did you discuss these videos with anyone?

No. I told her that her best route was to take time off. I told her that procedures were always in place for her to lodge a formal complaint, and I gave her the names of dedicated staff who could help her with her personal crisis and with transitioning to taking a leave from LAAC. We have a great mental health team here at LAAC.

The videos you describe are missing. The files erased from her hard drive. What do you think happened to them?

Maybe she erased them herself. I never tell students to destroy their work, although sometimes that’s exactly the remedy they need. But I don’t coddle them, either. I was devastated when I heard she ended her life. I believed in her talent and vision. But I wouldn’t have been doing her any favors paying her another year to burn bridges at LAAC. You have to launch from this place with success and momentum, or you can’t make the leaps you need to.

The videos were erased after her death. How is that possible, in your mind?

It’s not. I asked our staff to do a welfare check and they found her, and I promptly called the police. The studio was under lock and key that whole time. No one could have tampered with her laptop.

What if someone entered the studio after her death, erased the files, and then locked the door again and walked away?

That’s an insidious claim. Wouldn’t there be evidence? Fingerprints?

Who has keys to the studio?

The student. And custodial has a set. That’s it.

Where do the custodians keep them?

I don’t know actually. Their office somewhere, I suppose. You can ask.

So it’s technically possible that someone lifted the key, unlocked the studio, erased the files, and replaced the key.

Sure. It sounds like an awful lot of trouble for a couple of student films, though. Isn’t it more likely that you have the dates and times wrong and that Brenae erased them herself?

Let’s go back to your last meeting with Brenae. You didn’t think the subject of the second video merited further investigation on your part.