Dunster Tutors Call Free Speech a Risky Business

People in Dunster House are beginning to fear the month of May.

Last May, students and tutors became outraged after Noel Ignatiev, a nonresident tutor in the house, was not rehired after voicing his strong objections to a kosher toaster paid for out of University funds.

And last month, eight tutors said they feared they, too, would be fired if they spoke publicly about their beliefs that a house official participated in the hiring of his brother, girlfriend and two longtime friends.

"It seems like this kind of thing happens every year," said Henriette L. Power, senior tutor.

The tutors, who at first only spoke on the condition of anonymity, charged that Vincent W. Li '87, assistant senior tutor, unfairly influenced Dunster House Master Karel F. Liem by attending student interviews of William W. Li '84, Li's brother, and Mark O. Schroeder, Li's friend since 1986.

The tutors also said that in 1991, Li verbally persuaded Liem to hire Owen Young, a friend since junior high school, even though student interviewers ranked Young last among three possible candidates.

Tutors also charged that in the spring of 1992, Li forced out Dennis McGillicuddy, an earth and planetary sciences tutor, by moving into a married couples' suite McGillicuddy and his fiance wanted--even though Li isn't married.

The tutors said Li forced McGillicuddy out to open up a position for Fiona Murray, an environmental studies tutor, who they said was romantically involved with Li.

Vincent says he did "nothing wrong," though he concedes that it may have been inappropriate for him to be present at the student interview with his brother. Schroeder, Murray, and Young all told The Crimson they were hired on their own merit. William Li declined to comment.

Liem, who has the final say on all tutor hirings, says he trusts Li "immensely" and has been close with him ever since Li was his advisee in the Biology Department as an undergraduate. But he has made repeated firm denials that he was influenced by Li on the four hirings.

"Tutor hiring at Dunster has been conducted under the highest standards," Liem wrote in a letter to the Crimson. "There have been no improprieties in our choice of tutors."

Now, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57, refusing to act officially because no formal complaint had been filed, has left any investigation of whether Li did influence Liem to one person: Liem himself.

"If there are serious violations and intentional violations, then the master might feel action should be taken," Jewett said in May. "We will leave it up to the house master to decide this."

Some tutors think Jewett's decision virtually shut the door on any possible proper investigation.

"I can't see a situation where Karel would fire Vince because of nepotism," Lin said.

Liem himself has said he would not fire Li. "I can't [fire Li]," Liem said. "That wouldn't be fair to the people involved."

Tutors met with Jewett twice about the hirings, most recently in April, but they did not file a complaint, they say, because they feared losing their jobs.

At a staff meeting in March, Liem told tutors he could not work with anyone who "did not trust" him. Tutors said they took this to mean Liem would fire anyone who complained about the way hiring was being handled.

Instead, tutors chose to speak anonymously with The Crimson. After the charges were printed, some tutors said Liem conducted a "witch hunt" to discover who had spoken to the press.

Sophie A. Volpp '85, a tutor in East Asian studies, said she was brought to tears after an hour-long meeting in which Liem allegedly yelled at her for speaking to the Crimson. Volpp also said Liem "didn't give me a chance to talk."

Power said Jewett had to intervene in order to stop Liem from firing the tutors who made the charges. She said Jewett told Liem that firing a tutor would be "very inappropriate and harmful to the house."

At a three-hour public meeting on May 4, called by Liem at the suggestion of students, the master promised no one would be let go for speaking about the issue and denied conducting a witch hunt. "I wish not to know who the tutors are," Liem said.

Liem also said at the meeting he would like to codify the tutor hiring process and make it public. Jewett has said he is making informal suggestions to Liem about how to improve the process for next year.

Still, two tutors have already resigned since the turmoil began. Cynthia Palmer, assistant senior tutor in charge of fellowships, and Austin C. Lin, a nonresident tutor in computer science, both said they left in part because of the alleged impropriety and a feeling that Liem was stifling their opinions.

And not everyone is convinced that Liem will tolerate their unadulterated opinions even now.

"There's still a witch hunt," one tutor says. "I don't want to speak out because I don't want any shit."

Peter J. Kolovis '93 says numerous pre-med students are afraid to voice their concern that two brothers, Vincent and William Li, will be co-chairs of the house's pre-med committee next year, for fear of retaliation in the form of negative letters of recommendations from the two tutors.

When only a handful of tutors attended the annual Dunster goat roast, Power said the tutors were "running scared."

"They feel uncomfortable being in a public place," Power said. "Generally people are concerned now about speaking out on the issue of tutor hiring."

Clearly, students and tutors in Dunster feel intimidated. So far, however, there is no proof that their fear is justified, no clear-cut case of retribution.

No one wants to be the sacrificial lamb. But until more people take the risk of speaking out--and goading Liem into retaliating--the fear and discomfort in Dunster house, no matter how real, may seem more like paranoia or cowardice.

'There's still a witch hunt.'

a Dunster tutor, speaking anonymously