Police Investigate Law School Posters

Harvard University police is investigating a set of posters that feature the phone numbers of the two Harvard Law School students who admitted parodying the work of a murdered feminist scholar.

Police officials yesterday refused comment on the investigation, saying it is still ongoing. It is unclear if the posters violate University rules or consititute criminal phone harassment.

In addition to phone numbers and address, some of the posters include photographs of the two third-year students, Craig B. Coben and Ken Fenyo. Cohen and Fenyo, both editors of the presitigious Harvard Law Review, sparked an uproar on campus last week with a parody of an article by slain New England School of Law professor Mary Joe Frug.

Many students and faculty, including Dean of the Law School Robert C. Clark, have condemned the parody ad offensive and misogynistic. It appeared in the annual spoof issue of the Law Review, titled the Revue, on the anniversary of Frug's murder in Cambridge.

Coben and Fenyo acknowledged writing the piece, titled "He-Manifesto of Post-Mortem Legal Feminism," and apologized to the Law School community on Tuesday. The posters appeared the next day, taped to classroom walls and hallways.

Some of the posters named the judges for whom Coben and Fenyo will clerk in the fall, the judges' work address and the words, "Judge Not And You ShallNot Be Judged."

The posters said Coben will clerk H. Ginsburg,and Fenyo will clerk for U.S. District Court JudgeJ. Chifford Wallace.

Several students and faculty members havecriticized the posters, most of which have alreadybeen ripped down.

"They're horrible," said Tyler Professor ofConstitutional Law Laurence H. Tribe. "They'requite sick and symptoms of a disease not sodifferent from the disease that can produce thissort of disgusting parody."

"The public condemnation that the students whowrote the article have received is the right wayto handle the issue," said Courtney Horrigan, athird-year law student. "Putting up the 'wanted'posters and making them look like criminals went abit too far."

`Demonstrates Fear and Anger'

Although third-year student Andrea Brennekedidn't support the posters, she said they may"demonstrate the anger and fear that women feel oncampus."

Claudia T. Salomon, co-chair of the Women's LawAssociation, also said the posters representedprotest and "more than information." She said, "Idon't think the posters were a witch-hunt."

Disciplinary action against studentsresponsible for the posters would complicate thetensions already present at the Law School.

Some students have urged the administration toconduct an investigation and consider discipliningthe students responsible for the parody, munityservice.

A coalition of nine Law School student groupscalled for Clark's resignation Thursday,criticizing. The students said his response wasfeeble compared to action taken against studentswho staged a sit-in demanding more minority andwomen faculty.

This article includes information from wiredispatches.

The posters said Coben will clerk H. Ginsburg,and Fenyo will clerk for U.S. District Court JudgeJ. Chifford Wallace.

Several students and faculty members havecriticized the posters, most of which have alreadybeen ripped down.

"They're horrible," said Tyler Professor ofConstitutional Law Laurence H. Tribe. "They'requite sick and symptoms of a disease not sodifferent from the disease that can produce thissort of disgusting parody."

"The public condemnation that the students whowrote the article have received is the right wayto handle the issue," said Courtney Horrigan, athird-year law student. "Putting up the 'wanted'posters and making them look like criminals went abit too far."

`Demonstrates Fear and Anger'

Although third-year student Andrea Brennekedidn't support the posters, she said they may"demonstrate the anger and fear that women feel oncampus."

Claudia T. Salomon, co-chair of the Women's LawAssociation, also said the posters representedprotest and "more than information." She said, "Idon't think the posters were a witch-hunt."

Disciplinary action against studentsresponsible for the posters would complicate thetensions already present at the Law School.

Some students have urged the administration toconduct an investigation and consider discipliningthe students responsible for the parody, munityservice.

A coalition of nine Law School student groupscalled for Clark's resignation Thursday,criticizing. The students said his response wasfeeble compared to action taken against studentswho staged a sit-in demanding more minority andwomen faculty.

This article includes information from wiredispatches.