I am a lifelong U.S and Delaware Citizen. I am also now a victim of life altering, unwarranted, and extreme violence by Michael Uzu. Uzu attacked me in my home in Delaware, but was not punished despite a domestic violence finding against him, a granted restraining order, and overwhelming evidence that all third parties, except one with the most power and duty to the public, agreed he is a violent individual who intentionally caused harm.  I faced the stonewalling, poor judgement, and what appears to possibly be willful harm by prosecutor Claudia Brewster DeBonte from the DOJ and Dawn Floyd from the University of Delaware who failed to protect a member of the community. And allegedly failed to comply with Title IX & SEVIS reporting requirements while violating my civil rights through discrimination.  I am asking for your help to call for justice on this matter, and for the institutions to step up and take action in interest of all Delaware citizens.

At the time of this assault, my future was bright and full of promise: I had just achieved a promotion to Associate at BlackRock, was actively launching a real estate firm (incorporated Jan 31st, 2024) envisioned to build generational wealth. I am under accommodations here Georgetown University, where I am a graduate student. This single act of violence and the subsequent institutional failures at UD & the DOJ shattered that reality, dismantling years of hard work and aspiration in an instant.

The worst day of my life, is painfully sharp in my memory. I remember that day, when my life changed forever. In February 2024, my livelihood & career trajectory was irrevocably altered by an unprovoked, brutal assault at the hands of Michael Uzu, a Ph.D. student, and funded researcher at the University of Delaware under the obligations of an F-1 visa. What began as a deeply caring relationship ended in violence that inflicted upon me a permanent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), leaving me grappling with devastating and lifelong visual, cognitive, and emotional consequences that shape every waking moment. Michael was arrested, indicted, and arraigned by a grand jury for a misdemeanor, and later, felony assault 2nd upon further revelation of my injuries. I suffer greatly to this day, despite improvements due to by dedicated and very expensive medical team that due the cost, I cannot fully utilize.

The financial toll has been crushing; I was forced to exhaust the woefully inadequate Delaware Victims Compensation Fund, incur nearly $10,000 in personal costs for private legal representation solely to defend myself against Uzu’s baseless, fabricated counterclaims, and repeatedly fight for even the most basic protections—all while physically and cognitively disabled. I should have never had to do that because I don't attend the university. I faced retaliation against for filing the complaint, which violated my protection order against Michael Uzu

The University's handling of my case was not merely negligent; it was a stunning betrayal of its fundamental duty of care and a callous demonstration of indifference that actively re-victimized a disabled complainant. The University allegedly deliberately obstructed and delayed the case for months, and treated me as an adversary. Despite video and photographic evidence clearly identifying the perpetrator, Michael Uzu. Michael Uzu was found responsible for domestic violence after an investigation by the university. Uzu was caught lying multiple times and his account of the event was inconsistent and unreliable.

Throughout the Title IX hearing, Michael Uzu allegedly utilized the process not to engage with the evidence, but to shame, bully, and harass, employing baseless counterclaims—explicitly lacking credible evidence as noted in the report—in a clear attempt to defame and silence me, while viciously disparaging my character and minimizing the devastating impact of his violence. No evidence, just insults and disdain. All of this transpired while he could not even bring himself to offer a basic apology for the harm he caused.

The Title IX Coordinator, Dawn Floyd, allegedly went so far as to describe my legitimate procedural actions, born of necessity, as "attempting to use the process as a sword and a shield", while the General Counsel allegedly dismissed valid document requests crucial to my case and inappropriately minimized my documented cognitive disabilities when I desperately sought fair and equitable treatment. She purposefully delayed the hearing and ignored motions sent months prior, in violation of university policy. 

The rationale for no punishment continues to diminish. Delaware DOJ prosecutor Claudia DeBonte, inexplicably dropped felony charges against Uzu—citing "self-defense"—a random, non adjudicated decision that stands in stark and unconscionable contradiction to the University's own formal finding that explicitly rejected Uzu's self-defense claims as inconsistent and unreliable as he had no evidence to present for that argument, leaving strong questions to Claudia’s decision making as a prosecutor. Michael Uzu had lied on multiple accounts, and the prosecutor accepted these false statements while UD did not. An investigation into her previous cases, especially those regarding domestic violence, must be completed by a federal entity. Claudia DeBonte violated my rights and was dishonest about her open plea strategy that she held for a very long time. You do not have arraignments, indictments, and open pleas stay for weeks to months then suddenly drop a case with  no new evidence, besides the increasing number of medical documents from me, that appeared. Claudia DeBonte's poor judgement (or coercion based) decisions nearly ruined my life by abandoning her ethical duty and ultimately me, the victim of extreme violence.

Rudolph Eckeard,  during my attempts to seek legal protection, attempted to intimidate me into following a botched protection order process in August/September 2025. Eckeard provided disability accommodations to me via a zoom link one minute before a hearing. And I did not know my request for remote appearances were even approved and was never informed. So I showed up for no reason in-person. Eckeard, family court mediator,  lied about not receiving court documents, motions, jurisdictional policies, and assumed I knew nothing about the process after advocating for myself over a year at this point. All on a recorded meeting. He ultimately allowed Michael Uzu to weaponize the court system multiple times with irrelevant, prejudicial filings.

This egregious situation stands in stark contrast to the University’s public outcry and swift institutional action in prior cases like Brandon Freyre, where similar violent conduct by a student prompted a far different, and arguably more responsible, response. This disturbing disparity in treatment, particularly given that both Mr. Uzu and I are members of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities, raises serious and uncomfortable questions about discriminatory practices, bias, and who the University truly prioritizes when faced with difficult truths.

Meanwhile, the University's Chemistry Department, including Professor Lars Gundlach, knowing of the arrest, charges, & the police report plus details in an email - allegedly engaged in the active and unsettling promotion of Uzu. It is likely he did not report this to Chemours or to ACS.  Gundlach continued to work with Uzu and his funded research despite the growing case details, only to allow the facilitating of a new publication of chemistry research with Uzu listed as first author less than a month after the finding of responsibility, and actively preserving his access to professional opportunities as if nothing happened. Alarmingly, for example, in March 2024, after his violent arrest, Uzu was even permitted to supervise minors through Delaware Science Olympiad, raising severe and urgent questions about UD’s vetting processes, disclosure practices, and fundamental commitment to the safety of vulnerable populations and our community. 

Joel Rosenthal, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware, took no action in preventing Micheal Uzu from teaching undergraduate clssses after the assault, endangering the community. Rosenthal was made aware and did not take any action

I am calling on the University of Delaware Board of Trustees, who failed to respond to my initial request, to investigate. More-so, federal bodies to conduct an independent investigation into the Delaware DOJ prosecutor and the University of Delaware. Specifically, for the broader public to demand an immediate, thorough, independent, investigation to answer:

1. Overview of the University's appalling shielding and protection of Michael Uzu despite its own formal findings of violence causing permanent injury.

2. The immediate expulsion of Michael Uzu

3. The egregious procedural irregularities and the re-victimization of a disabled complainant, including the unjust imposition of a counter-complaint process on a non-student that violates UD's own policy.

4. Policy changes for the University of Delaware administration to follow regarding conduct processes.

5. Policy changes to lower the bar for discipline for inadequate state prosecutors such as Claudia DeBonte

6. The stark, unacceptable, and contradictory outcomes between the University's finding rejecting self-defense and the Delaware DOJ's decision to drop felony charges citing self-defense. 

7. Delaware DOJ Policy changes to counter broader violations of public trust, fundamental safety, and sustain university protection of disability rights within the University's systems and processes.

8. Claudia DeBonte to never touch domestic violence, assault, or civil rights cases anymore and face ethics review for prosecutorial miscounduct due to directly conflicting legal theories and strong evidence and the provenly falsified statement she accepted. 

9. Why Michael Uzu was allowed to teach undergraduate classes, supervise minors with Delaware Science Olympiad, and navigate the community during pending felony and misdemeanor charges. The university was aware but did not act,  jeopardizing community safety. 

10. American Chemical Society, Lars Gundlach, & Chemours to explain why they continued funding /publishing for research despite a university finding of abuse?

11. Commissioner Jennifer L. Mayo must explain why she put me at risk by denying my extension for protection despite meeting all requirements. She lied about the court process that was already  extremely hard for me to navigate and denied disability accommodations to me which should result in removal from the bench. Jennifer Mayo should be absolutely ashamed of herself and now I am terrified to get medical care in Delaware. 

As a proud 2016 graduate of Wilmington Friends School and a lifelong Quaker, I was raised with values rooted in intellectual rigor, emotional intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to social justice. My Quaker education instilled in me the moral imperative to discern right from wrong—and to courageously confront injustice wherever I see it, regardless of the personal cost or the power of the institution involved. 

There must be accountability for the failures that allowed this to happen. There must be justice for the harm inflicted and the suffering endured. There must be change within the institutions that failed in their duty to protect. We all as Delaware citizens must demand transparency and actions from the very institutions we financially support.