HEW Delaying Study On Harvard Hiring, Womens' Head Says

The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare is "taking an unusually long time" to complete a study of alleged discrimination against women at Harvard, the author of similar complaints against 200 universities charged yesterday.

One such HEW study at the University of Michigan was performed in less than one month last Fall, but the HEW investigation at Harvard- begun last Spring- is still unfinished.

"We just don't know why it's taking so long at Harvard," said Bernice Sandler, a leader of the Women's Equity Action League (WEAL) and chairman of WEAL's Action Committee for Federal Contract Compliance in Education.

As a result of the study at Michigan, HEW has ordered the suspension of a $350,000 government contract with that university until it submits an "affirmative action plan" which is accepted by HEW negotiators.

Contracts at Stake

Harvard receives $60 million each year in federal contracts, all of which could be affected by the outcome of the HEW study here.

The HEW official in charge of the investigation- John G. Bynoe of HEW's Boston bureau- emphatically denied that there has been any delay in the completion of the study, but declined to elaborate on HEW activity at Harvard. He said that it was HEW policy not to discuss the specifics of any on going investigation.

Another HEW official- Walter Bailey, who is acting as a liaison between the agency's Washington and Boston offices- acknowledged that although some information for the study is still "trickling in ... we obtained virtually all the data which we needed 30-odd days ago."

Over Soon

Both officials stated that the study will be completed and sent to Harvard "very soon."

They also denied- contrary to earlier reports- that HEW has already imposed a partial suspension of federal funds earmarked for Harvard.

Last April, HEW officials withheld some contract money after the investigating team was denied access to Harvard's personnel files, but the funds were restored after University officials decided to open the files to the investigators.