VIP Treatment

Harvard University police Lt. Larry Murphy's specialty is V.I.P. protection--which might explain his penchant for special treatment. Murphy, the acting chief of police and the leading contender within the force for the soon-to-be vacant chief post, is in charge of obtaining bus service for the University's Commencement and reunion activities--even if he doesn't actually sign the contract.

Under his consultation, Harvard uses the Medford-based Cavalier Coach Corporation as the general contractor for the majority of Harvard's reunion bus service. As it turns out, Murphy has personal and financial connections to that very company.

Oddly enough, Harvard's Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall says she doesn't see why Murphy's ties to Cavalier represent a conflict of interest.

We'd like to offer a few reasons why they do.

Murphy's financial ties to Cavalier go far beyond the standard shareholder's. Murphy carries a company credit card and can sign paychecks for company employees. In addition, the lieutenant acknowledges that he is a close personal friend of Cavalier's owner and president, Joan Libby--so close, in fact, that sources say they vacationed together in Florida last January.

Harvard does not require competitive bidding for the reunion bus contract without opening the contract for bidding. It has used Cavalier for the past six years--coincidentally, that's exactly as long as the company has existed.

Murphy claims that he receives no personal financial gain from the Cavalier contract. That may be true, but his behavior in this case represents a serious failure in ethics, judgment and propriety. First of all, Murphy failed to reveal his connections with Cavalier to the reunion office--and when asked, repeatedly denied having any ties to the bus company.

Second, Murphy is shutting out other bus companies by sending Harvard business to his friend, Libby. By all accounts, Cavalier Coach does a good job, and its fees aren't outrageously out of line with the competition. Still, as a matter of principle, Harvard should hire contractors on the basis of what they can do, not whom they know. This doesn't mean bids must be solicited every time the smallest Harvard department buys cookies for a party. But it does mean that secret favoritism like that exhibited in the Cavalier-Murphy relationship should not be tolerated.

Finally, the Murphy-Cavalier case raises questions about Harvard's attitude toward its own conflict of interest policies. Marshall says Harvard's 1975 conflict of interest rule covers only high-ranking administrators and financial officers. A mere police officer, Marshall implies, isn't accountable.

Does that mean a faculty member, a museum director, a UHS official would not be subject to conflict of interest restrictions? All of these people could have opportunities to line their own pockets or those of friends at the expense of University principles. Harvard's legal advisers should start delineating just who is exempt from this University policy--and what the administration should do when conflicts of interest arise.

Meanwhile, Harvard should either institute a competitive bidding process for reunion busing activities or justify publicly and concretely why it doesn't need one. Murphy should explain his lack of candor about his relationship with Cavalier. Murphy's superiors should insist that he relinquish his ties to Cavalier--or give up his involvement with Commencement busing. No police officer should have the right to treat himself or his friends like VIPs when there's a chance that he's doing so at the University's expense.