Brianna Brochu and Jazzy Rowe
Brianna Brochu was arrested after boasting about poisoning her college roommate who she called "Jamaican Barbie" Facebook

KEY POINTS

  • Student said she inserted her roommate's toothbrush "where the sun doesn't shine" and rubbed used tampons on her bag.
  • After undergoing several tests, a doctor told her she had "some type of bad bacteria".
  • University of Hartford student Brianna Brochu has been arrested.

An American student who boasted about poisoning her college roommate on social media has been arrested.

18-year-old Brianna Brochu, a freshman at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, allegedly tampered with her black roommate's toiletries and food, in an attempt to get her to move out.

Brochu bragged about spitting in Jazzy Rowe's food, mixing mould into her creams and rubbing used tampons on her bag, in an Instagram post, boasting that she had successfully driven "Jamaican Barbie" out.

"Finally did it yo girl got rid of her roommate!!" the post read. "After 1 1/12 month of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons on her backpack, putting her toothbrush places where the sun doesn't shine and so much more I can finally say goodbye Jamaican Barbie."

Rowe said in a Facebook video that she had suffered from "extreme throat pain" in the weeks that she lived with Brochu.

"While I've been here, I've been getting sick. Not knowing why, I've been getting sick. It started with throat pain. I thought maybe because it's colder up here, I'm just probably catching a cold," she said in the video.

"The sore throat pain got worse and it was just throat pain. And this was happening for about a month. It got to the point where I had extreme throat pain where I couldn't sleep, to the point where I couldn't speak. Like I'd try to whisper, and I could barely whisper," Rowe recalled.

After undergoing several medical tests, a doctor told her that she had "some type of bad bacteria" at the back of her throat. Rowe said she did not understand why Brochu had targeted her as they rarely interacted. "Which is why I think it's a whole racial hate issue," she said.

Brochu was arrested by West Hartford police on 28 October and charged with second-degree breach of peace and third-degree criminal mischief, state court records show. The charges are both class B misdemeanours and each carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

The president of the University of Hartford, Greg Woodward, condemned what he described as a "deeply upsetting" incident of bullying.

"Let me be clear: the accused student's behavior was reprehensible and does not reflect the values of our institution," he said. "Let me also be clear that I am confident the University has taken all steps to pursue this matter seriously and will continue to do so."