Senior Claims Racial Harassment

Accompanied by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, a Harvard senior filed a preliminary complaint yesterday with the city charging that a Harvard Square newsstand owner racially harassed him.

Richard A. Cole '95, a Dudley House affiliate, met with officials from the Cambridge Human Rights Commission yesterday afternoon to discuss the alleged harassment at Nini's Corner.

Cole declined to comment yesterday, and Epps refused to comment, saying any comments about the matter should come from Cole.

Philip Nini, the shop's owner, recalled asking Cole to leave the store Tuesday evening, but said his action was neither racially motivated nor discriminatory in any way.

Nini said he merely confronted Cole after the student had spent half an hour reading an issue of Billboard magazine.

But Cole's complaint falls under the city ordinance prohibiting harassment, intimidation or discrimination against any person in a public accommodation because of race or color, Margot P. Kosberg, executive director of the commission, said yesterday.

When contacted yesterday, Nini said he had not been aware of the complaint, but he recalled the incident in question.

"He was reading a Billboard magazine for a half hour." Nini said. "I went over and in a nice voice, told him to leave because we only allow a minimum browsing time."

Cole was angered by this, Nini said.

"He threw down the magazine and went over to read the muscle magazines," Nini said. "He muttered something and kind of moped around the store."

Then, Nini said, he again asked Cole to leave.

"He said, 'Do you know that I'm a student here at Harvard?'" Nini said.

"I don't care where he went to school," Nini said. "I don't care if he's a graduate of Oxford, for crying out loud. He was browsing too long and we don't allow that."

As Cole left the store, he informed Nini that he was going to write a letter of complaint against the store, according to Nini.

Nini said yesterday that he blew off the threat as a lot of hot air.

"He's just a troublemaker. He's a screwball," Nini said.

Nini said he would never make derogatory remarks about a customer.

"This is business," Nini said. "That kind of thing takes away customers."

Kosberg said this is the first complaint filed against Nini's Corner with the commission.

"I've been here for 34 years...and I've never had any complaints," Nini said.

Informal Stage

Kosberg emphasized that the status of Cole's complaint remains "informal."

"When someone comes in with a complaint, I'll talk to them and find out whether it falls under the jurisdiction of our office," Kosberg said. "Then we usually send out a fact-finding group to investigate."

Usually in cases where there is some kind of denial of services or harassment, the commission tries to resolve it informally.

"As a last resort we go ahead and file a formal complaint," Kosberg said. "We'd set up a fact-finding conference and allow the accused party to respond."

Several Harvard students seek recourse with the Human Rights Commission each year, Kosberg said

Kosberg said this is the first complaint filed against Nini's Corner with the commission.

"I've been here for 34 years...and I've never had any complaints," Nini said.

Informal Stage

Kosberg emphasized that the status of Cole's complaint remains "informal."

"When someone comes in with a complaint, I'll talk to them and find out whether it falls under the jurisdiction of our office," Kosberg said. "Then we usually send out a fact-finding group to investigate."

Usually in cases where there is some kind of denial of services or harassment, the commission tries to resolve it informally.

"As a last resort we go ahead and file a formal complaint," Kosberg said. "We'd set up a fact-finding conference and allow the accused party to respond."

Several Harvard students seek recourse with the Human Rights Commission each year, Kosberg said