Bok Criticizes Press Coverage of Razo Case

President Bok yesterday blasted the national press for sensationalizing the case of alleged robber Jose L. Razo '89.

In the first extensive public comments on the case by a high-ranking University official, Bok said that the press had unjustly questioned Harvard's treatment of minority students because Razo is Hispanic.

"I would make a plea for keeping Mr. Razo's case in perspective," Bok said in an interview yesterday.

"Obviously you're going to have unfortunate incidents," he said. "But the fact that one happens to a minority should not be blown out of proportion."

Razo was arrested in early July on charges that he had committed seven armed robberies over the last two years in the Los Angeles area. The arrest after the former Kirkland resident walked into the police department in his native La Habra, California and confessed to committing the robberies. He has since pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Several major newspapers, including the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, wrote feature-length stories about the Razo case. They portrayed Razo as a troubled youth torn between his Hispanic roots and an insensitive University environment.

But Bok yesterday downplayed suggestions by themedia that the Razo case is indicative of a largerproblem among minority students at Harvard.

"What I object to is sensationaljournalism...that they take incidents of this kindand question everything," Bok said.

Bok said that while the case attracted nationalattention, he did not think it would hamper theUniversity's ability to attract minorities forfuture classes.

"Harvard is very resilient," he said. "To theextent that this means Hispanic students will bemotivated to think about the environment here,that's a good thing. But I don't expect aknee-jerk" reaction against Harvard, Bok said.

Harvard this year enrolled the highest numberof minority students in its history, as roughly 27percent of the Class of '91 are minorities.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said inan interview yesterday, however, that someminorities here are concerned about repercussionsbeyond the University. "A lot of the minoritystudents I've talked to are worried that peoplewill draw inappropriate conclusions" from the Razocase, he said.

Bok declined to comment in yesterday'sinterview on the case of Jack C. Patterson '88,who was asked earlier this week to withdraw for ayear after he made a phone call that contained aracial slur to a Black student. Bok said only thathe didn't think that race relations are a problemat Harvard