SDS Charges Herrnstein Harassed Grad Students

About 25 members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and University Action Group (UAG) held a rally yesterday in front of University Hall protesting alleged harassment of graduate students by Richard Herrnstein, professor of Psychology.

Bonnie Blustein '72, a member of SDS, charged at the rally that Herrnstein told a section leader in his course that "she was unfit to teach" because she signed a petition to the Atlantic Monthly urging it to publish views opposing an article on IQ by Herrnstein in its September issue.

Bluestein also claimed that Herrnstein had refused to sign a form allowing an Ed School student, George Purvin, to take Soc Sci 15 for credit because Purvey printed an advertisement in the Crimson asking the faculty to express disapproval of Herrnstein's article.

Purvin said Sunday that Herrnstein never told him that he would not sign the form.

He said, however, that Herrnstein had asked him a number of "pointed questions" about his advertisement.

Herrnstein said yesterday that he was not trying to be hostile to Purvey and that he had simply found a mistake in Purina's Crimson statement which he wanted him to correct.

Herrnstein also maintained that Blu stein's charge about intimidating a section leader "was incorrect in tone and implication." He refused to comment further but said he "would never try to intimidate a teaching fellow."

"If I inadvertently did, I would be sorry," he said.

Alan Garfinkel, a member of UAG, charged at yesterday's rally that Herrnstein tried to keep secret a discussion he is having today at the Law School with Jerome Kagan, professor of Developmental Psychology, on IQ.

He also charged that Herrnstein has avoided speaking to possibly unfavorable groups.

Herrnstein said that his discussion at the Law School was a "closed luncheon meeting" with members of a post-graduate program. He said he would leave if members of SDS were allowed in the room.

Herrnstein added that he had accepted all speaking engagements offered to him up to a certain date in the fall term. He said, however, that he would not speak before any group which had open public discussion at the end of the program.

"I'm afraid of disruptions by groups like SDS," he said.

Two members of UAG tried to enter University Hall during the rally to discuss Herrnstein's article with Dean Dunlop.

University police had locked the doors before the rally began and the UAG member could not get inside.