HLS Ended Speech To Protect Calero

Law School Dean James Vorenberg '49 expressed "regret" over last Friday's disruption of a former contra leader's speech in a statement released yesterday, but said that the address was cancelled in light of the threat posed to Adolfo Calero's safety.

Vorenberg praised the event's organizers, peaceful Law School student protestors, and Harvard police for "acting responsibly." In the two-page statement, Vorenberg elaborated on his decision, announced before Friday's speech, to create a student-faculty committee on issues of the rights of protestors and speakers.

The statement comes in reponse to the events of last Friday when a Tufts senior leapt on stage and tried to attack former contra head Adolfo Calero, who was about to begin his speech at Langdell Hall. Harvard Police dragged Joshua Laub from the scene, and the speech was cancelled.

"After having been told by the police that Mr. Calero would not return to the room, the moderator [Assistant Dean for International and Comparative Legal Studies Frederick E. Snyder] informed the audience that the speech would not be given," Vorenberg said in the statement. "In view of what had happened, there was concern for Mr. Calero's safety, and in fact, he did not return to the podium."

In response to the Dean's comments, the co-sponsors of the event--the Harvard Law School Republicans(HLSR)--released a statement last night blastingthe Law School administration for attempting "tosweep their responsibility for the cancellation ofthe program under the rug."

The organization's president, second-year lawstudent Joe Anderson, said in the statement thatCalero had wanted to return to the podium to givehis lecture, but Law School officials would notlet him.

Vorenberg said in his statement that "I verymuch regret that this incident occurred," and wenton to say that he would instruct thestudent-faculty committee to discuss broad policyquestions concerning the rights of speakers andprotestors at the Law School.

"Having observed the circumstances of thisevent and some others in recent years that haveinvolved strong, conflicting views, I am concernedabout their effects on the free and open exchangeof views and ideas at the Law School,'' Vorenbergsaid in his statement. "It is a serious loss tothe University community any time a speaker is notpermitted to express his or her views."

Vorenberg said in his statement that he wouldappoint a committee to address such issues as astudent group's right to restrict access to anevent, permissible forms of protest, appropriatesecurity measures, and who should decide when tocancel an event. He said in his statement thecommittee would be asked to establish guidelinesfor dealing with these and other issues in thefuture.

Last week Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett'57 announced that he would schedule College-widediscussions on similar issues. Jewett said that hethought of the forum in response to thecancellation of a South African diplomat's speechlast spring after protestors attempted to blockadetwo of the three exits in the auditorium where hewas speaking.

Jewett said last night that he had not spokento Vorenberg about bringing their two committeestogether.

Vice President and General Counsel of theUniversity Daniel Steiner '54 said that these twocommittees grew out of a general concern at theUniversity over issues of free speech.

"It's a manifestation of a continuing concernthat has existed for many years that the rights ofspeakers and the balance between people's abilityto speak and the rights of people to protest hasnot been clear,'' Steiner said.

Steiner said that the work of the twocommittees would not result into a generalUniversity policy. "I think that it's much moreimportant to develop guidelines within thedifferent communities," Steiner said. "I amhappier with an effort at the faculty level,rather than a University-wide effort."

Before Friday's incident, Vorenberg had plannedto form a committee to discuss issues of freespeech and the right of protestors stemming fromcharges that HLSR had tried to select the audiencefor Calero's speech.

Thirty-six Law School students signed apetition Thursday protesting HLSR's handling ofthe event. HLSR distributed 300 out of 350 ticketsto their members and members of the other groupswhich co-sponsored the event. The remaining 50tickets were made available to the rest of the LawSchool community.

"Prior to the event, because of concerns aboutthe way tickets were being distributed and otherissues raised in preparation of this event, Idecided to form a working group to developguidelines reflecting the need for security ofspeakers and the free speech rights of allinvolved," Vorenberg said in a statement releasedyesterday.

Liberal and conservative law students wereskeptical of the usefulness of the new committee.They said that while direct action was needed, thecommittee would merely be a device to quelltensions which have arisen over the issue of freespeech and the rights of protestors.

"That's an old bureaucrat's trick, one of theoldest in the book," Anderson said in hisstatement. "If one wants to avoid dealing with anissue, appoint a committee, don't take anypositive action, and wait until the heat diesdown."

"This is just a typical move from Vorenberg'sadministration," said second-year student LukeCole, one of the students who signed the petitionagainst HLSR's tactics. "Yet another committeeabout yet another problem at the Law School.