Protesters Occupy President's Office At Boston State

Nearly 100 students occupied the president's office and the switchboard room at Boston State College (BSC) yesterday morning to protest the firing of two instructors and to press their demands that BSC be excluded from austerity provisions in the new Massachusetts State College master plan.

Spokesmen for the protesters said yesterday they will continue the occupation until the board of trustees for the state college system meets with BSC students

The board of trustees refused to comply with the demand in a telephone conversation with protest leaders yesterday afternoon, the spokesman said.

The students are protesting the firing of Henry Allen, a history teacher, and Blaney Lee, an elementary instruction leader. College officials say that the two were fired in order to combat overstaffing, but Jim Garo, one of the student demonstrators, said yesterday that Allen and Blaney were dismissed because "they are radicals and progressive teachers."

No one was in the office of BSC president Kermit Morrissey when the office was occupied at 11 a.m. yesterday morning.