Obscenity Cases Cause Resignation Of Two Dartmouth Student Leaders

Two leaders of Dartmouth's student government have resigned in protest over a bitter dispute on faculty student jurisdiction in the handling of fraternity obscenity cases.

Jeffery W. Amory resigned Sunday night as chairman of Palaeopitus, the executive committee of Dartmouth's undergraduate council.

William B. Hayden, chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Interfraternity Council (IFCJC), which handled the cases, followed Amory by quitting his post Monday. "Student government has been slapped in the face," Hayden said.

The resignations followed a chain of events beginning in early November when cases involving a fraternity skit performed in mixed company and two fraternity newsletters were brought before Thaddeus Seymour, Dean of Dartmouth College. The fraternities had allegedly violated the Dartmouth code of "gentlemanly conduct."

After an informal meeting, the Board of Deans referred the cases to the IFC-JC. Hayden's Committee decided not to punish the fraternities. Instead, they issued a policy statement outlining punitive action to be taken in future cases.

On Monday, the Faculty Committee on Administration issued a statement registering "concern that the IFC-JC conducted an improper and inadequate investigation and took no punitive action. The statement continued: "The Committee on Administration will take direct jurisdiction in future disciplinary cases involving fraternities."

The point of conflict has been the contention of the IFC-JC that the faculty had acted on the matter after they had given the students jurisdiction in the cases. "The JC just came up with the wrong answer," said Hayden. "Now, they are not allowing us to have an action. We won't even be able to review the cases."

Dean Seymour denies that the Deans ever gave the IFC-JC jurisdiction over the cases. "If there was an agreement, some other people should be resigning."