FIU Appoints Fill-In for Campus Police Chief Alexander Casas in Wake of "Groping" Video

There's a new chief in town at Florida International University (FIU) following the announcement that Alexander Casas has been placed on leave 13 years into his career as the university's chief of police.

Casas' leave comes a month after an anonymous source sent a letter to local media outlets, claiming that Casas inappropriately touched two men while onstage during an awards ceremony in February. The source included two video clips that appear to show Casas goosing the men on the buttocks. One of the men, a retired assistant chief, visibly flinches and utters, "Title IX" — a reference to the U.S. statute that covers sexual harassment at federally funded schools. 

The letter deemed the incident "an embarrassment to the FIU Police Department" and urged that the university put a stop to this “cycle of bad behavior." The anonymous writer alleged a "lack of professionalism" in the department, including "inappropriate and demeaning" comments uttered by Casas during conversations with staff.

In a statement, the FIU administration said veteran officer James Mesidor has been appointed acting chief of the FIU Police Department while Casas is on leave. The university declined to provide further details, saying it does not comment on "personnel matters."

Before joining FIU police as a major in 2021, Mesidor had been a member of the North Miami Police Department since 1994. According to his LinkedIn page, Mesidor earned a master's degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration from FIU in 2001.

The announcement of the shakeup atop the FIU Police Department came as a shock to many students, and the response has been mixed.

"I'm glad police on campus are finally being held accountable," FIU student Hannah Contreras tells New Times. "Honestly, I hope he doesn’t come back, because he clearly abused his power."

Others expressed disappointment at Casas' absence.

"He's been nothing but nice to me and extremely helpful," a student says. "I had to sit in his office for certain things that have happened, and he talked to me in a way that no one had before, gave me extremely good advice, and helped me solve my problems."

It remains unclear how long Casas will be on leave.

As New Times reported in 2022, Casas previously sparked controversy when he hired his wife's ex-husband, an officer who'd resigned from the Miami Police Department after being accused of giving a local tow driver special privileges to respond to accident scenes.