Admissions Officer Beaten

A black admissions officer said yesterday that he was beaten and insulted by a Cambridge taxi-cab driver on November 30 when he refused to pay the driver a tunnel oil.

David L. Evans, assistant director of Admissions, said yesterday that he was "utterly disappointed" at Harvard's initial failure to investigate his case.

Evans said that President Bok assured him yesterday that Harvard would assist him legally. Bok said yesterday that he had already arranged to get Evans a lawyer.

Evans said the cab driver called him "a cheep black bastard" and assaulted him physically at the end of a trip to Logan Airport in a taxi owned by the Ambassador Cab Company.

Evans said that after they arrived at the airport, the cab driver asked him to pay 8.25 for the toll of the tunner through which the cab would have to pass on its return trip to Cambridge.

After Evans refused, the cabbie beat him, threw him out of the cab and ran into him with the cab.

Evans is not suffering from any internal or serious injury, Bok said.

Passengers are required to pay the toll fare for their ride to Logan Airport but not for the taxi's return trip. Joseph Carvalho, the vice president of the Ambassador Cab Company, said yesterday.

Evans filed a complaint with the University Police last Thursday, shortly after the alleged beating took place. Robert Tonis, chief of University Police, said yesterday the case was under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Boston State Police but that the University Police would aid in the investigation.

Evans said he was disappointed that the University Police had not discovered the cab driver's identity. "When the academic freedom of (Samuel L.) Popkin was abused, the University rushed into action, but when my physical person was set upon they didn't act." Evans said yesterday.

James Battcock, a Boston State Police Trooper said the state police knew the identity of the cab driver but that they would not make public his identity until Evans files a court complaint.

No criminal action can be taken until either party involved files a format complaint with the court Battcock explained.

Evans said that he will not file charges against the driver until he consults his lawyer.