News

Garber Announces Advisory Committee for Harvard Law School Dean Search

News

First Harvard Prize Book in Kosovo Established by Harvard Alumni

News

Ryan Murdock ’25 Remembered as Dedicated Advocate and Caring Friend

News

Harvard Faculty Appeal Temporary Suspensions From Widener Library

News

Man Who Managed Clients for High-End Cambridge Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

Proposal Targets Crimson, Davis

By Sarah J. Schaffer

The Undergraduate Council will vote Sunday on a resolution which would recommend that three Crimson staff members and former council member Anjalee C. Davis '96 be brought before the Administrative Board.

Council Vice President Joshua D.

Liston '95 said the council's executive boardagreed Wednesday night to place the resolution onSunday's docket.

The resolution will recommend disciplinaryproceedings against Davis, Crimson reporter ToddF. Braunstein '97 and Associate Photography ChairEdward H. Wu '96, who entered the council officesearly Tuesday morning using a key provided byDavis.

The resolution also will seek action againstManaging Editor Joe Mathews '95, the head of TheCrimson's news board, who approved the officeentrance.

Braunstein, Wu and Davis were in the office toinvestigate charges of impropriety in the storageof ballots from this week's council referendum.

"I don't think you're supposed to be here at12:30 in the morning without a council memberpresent," said council President Carey W. Gabay'94. "The door's locked. You shouldn't be here. Idon't think you guys would appreciate it if webroke into your office at 12:30 in the morning."

Crimson President Marion B. Gammill '95 andMathews met yesterday with Dean of the College L.Fred Jewett '57 to discuss the council's pendingaction.

"[Jewett] said he thinks that the Ad Board hasa lot of important matters before it, moreimportant matters than this," Mathews said.

Liston said that he and council SecretaryBrandon C. Gregoire '95 also met with Jewettyesterday. Liston refused to discuss the contentof that meeting. Gregoire could not be reached forcomment last night.

Gammill said Jewett told her and Mathews thatfrom the dean's discussion with the councilofficers, "it seemed they were more interested ingoing after Anjalee" than after the Crimson. Davisis on leave this semester.

Last Tuesday night, Gregoire said he wouldsuggest Ad Board action if the story Braunsteinwas writing appeared in Wednesday morning'sCrimson.

"I'm not bull shitting. You will be AdBoarded--Anjalee, your reporter and your fuckingphotographer," Gregoire said to Mathews, accordingto Mathews.

Following a phone conversation late Mondaynight with Davis, who was co-administering thereferendum with Liston, Braunstein accompanied herto the council offices to investigate charges ofreferendum impropriety.

They entered using a key in Davis' possessionwhich she told Braunstein she had borrowed fromanother member.

Braunstein said yesterday he asked Davis "sixor seven" times which member had given her thekey, but she refused to tell him.

"Anjalee had never lied to us before, so I wentalong with it," Braunstein said.

Later Tuesday, however, Davis told The Crimsonthat the key she used was hers. All members of thecouncil receive keys, and she still possessed hersafter serving on the council last semester.

Gabay said the council does not collect keysfrom outgoing members, but instead periodicallychanges the office's lock. It has not been changedsince last semester.

Braunstein, who covers the council for TheCrimson, said the council bylaws do not saywhether former members may use their key to theoffice.

"What is clear is that when we went to theoffice, we went under good faith that what Anjaleehad told us was true, that we were therelegitimately," Gammill said.

Mathews said he consulted The Crimson'sattorney on Tuesday, and was told that becauseBraunstein and Wu acted in good faith, The Crimsonwould not be liable.

When Braunstein and Davis entered the office,they confirmed that the box containing completedreferendum ballots sat on a desk next to envelopescontaining "reams and reams" of blank ballots,according to Braunstein.

Braunstein then called Wu, who arrived shortlyafter, took pictures of the box and envelopes, andleft.

The picture of the box and ballots appearing inWednesday's Crimson, however, did not representthe scene exactly as the reporter and photographerfound it.

"We took an envelope out of the box and we letsome ballots hang out to show they were unmarked.We must have moved [the envelope] six inches fromits original position," Braunstein said. "Itwasn't Anjalee. I take full responsibility forthat. Teddy [Wu] should be completely blameless inall this."

Mathews said yesterday that setting up thephoto was a mistake, saying it was his fault.Today's Crimson includes a fornt-page correction.

"The rule is, you can't set an action photo,and we broke that rule," Mathews said. "That'sjust bad journalism. Basically, good newspapersaren't supposed to do that. That was a disserviceto our readers."

Liston agreed that staging the photo wasinappropriate.

"If anybody's tampered with the ballots, it'syou guys," Liston said.

Liston has maintained that the council didnothing wrong by leaving the materials in thecouncil office because a May I meeting stipulatedthat the ballots and ballot box would be keptthere.

If the resolution passes the council with amajority, the council will then submit therecommendation to the Ad Board, Liston said.

Gammill's name will not appear in theresolution, Liston said, because she did notdirectly approve of the entrance. But he said thepossibility exists that members will add her nameto the document through an amendment at Sunday'smeeting.

"If they're going to put a list of names there,they should add my name, because I was the one whoapproved it," Gammill said.

Liston and Gabay both said yesterday theybelieve the resolution will pass.

Council member Melissa Garza '94 said shethought the situation was "unfortunate," but alsosaid the Ad Board resolution would probably pass

Liston '95 said the council's executive boardagreed Wednesday night to place the resolution onSunday's docket.

The resolution will recommend disciplinaryproceedings against Davis, Crimson reporter ToddF. Braunstein '97 and Associate Photography ChairEdward H. Wu '96, who entered the council officesearly Tuesday morning using a key provided byDavis.

The resolution also will seek action againstManaging Editor Joe Mathews '95, the head of TheCrimson's news board, who approved the officeentrance.

Braunstein, Wu and Davis were in the office toinvestigate charges of impropriety in the storageof ballots from this week's council referendum.

"I don't think you're supposed to be here at12:30 in the morning without a council memberpresent," said council President Carey W. Gabay'94. "The door's locked. You shouldn't be here. Idon't think you guys would appreciate it if webroke into your office at 12:30 in the morning."

Crimson President Marion B. Gammill '95 andMathews met yesterday with Dean of the College L.Fred Jewett '57 to discuss the council's pendingaction.

"[Jewett] said he thinks that the Ad Board hasa lot of important matters before it, moreimportant matters than this," Mathews said.

Liston said that he and council SecretaryBrandon C. Gregoire '95 also met with Jewettyesterday. Liston refused to discuss the contentof that meeting. Gregoire could not be reached forcomment last night.

Gammill said Jewett told her and Mathews thatfrom the dean's discussion with the councilofficers, "it seemed they were more interested ingoing after Anjalee" than after the Crimson. Davisis on leave this semester.

Last Tuesday night, Gregoire said he wouldsuggest Ad Board action if the story Braunsteinwas writing appeared in Wednesday morning'sCrimson.

"I'm not bull shitting. You will be AdBoarded--Anjalee, your reporter and your fuckingphotographer," Gregoire said to Mathews, accordingto Mathews.

Following a phone conversation late Mondaynight with Davis, who was co-administering thereferendum with Liston, Braunstein accompanied herto the council offices to investigate charges ofreferendum impropriety.

They entered using a key in Davis' possessionwhich she told Braunstein she had borrowed fromanother member.

Braunstein said yesterday he asked Davis "sixor seven" times which member had given her thekey, but she refused to tell him.

"Anjalee had never lied to us before, so I wentalong with it," Braunstein said.

Later Tuesday, however, Davis told The Crimsonthat the key she used was hers. All members of thecouncil receive keys, and she still possessed hersafter serving on the council last semester.

Gabay said the council does not collect keysfrom outgoing members, but instead periodicallychanges the office's lock. It has not been changedsince last semester.

Braunstein, who covers the council for TheCrimson, said the council bylaws do not saywhether former members may use their key to theoffice.

"What is clear is that when we went to theoffice, we went under good faith that what Anjaleehad told us was true, that we were therelegitimately," Gammill said.

Mathews said he consulted The Crimson'sattorney on Tuesday, and was told that becauseBraunstein and Wu acted in good faith, The Crimsonwould not be liable.

When Braunstein and Davis entered the office,they confirmed that the box containing completedreferendum ballots sat on a desk next to envelopescontaining "reams and reams" of blank ballots,according to Braunstein.

Braunstein then called Wu, who arrived shortlyafter, took pictures of the box and envelopes, andleft.

The picture of the box and ballots appearing inWednesday's Crimson, however, did not representthe scene exactly as the reporter and photographerfound it.

"We took an envelope out of the box and we letsome ballots hang out to show they were unmarked.We must have moved [the envelope] six inches fromits original position," Braunstein said. "Itwasn't Anjalee. I take full responsibility forthat. Teddy [Wu] should be completely blameless inall this."

Mathews said yesterday that setting up thephoto was a mistake, saying it was his fault.Today's Crimson includes a fornt-page correction.

"The rule is, you can't set an action photo,and we broke that rule," Mathews said. "That'sjust bad journalism. Basically, good newspapersaren't supposed to do that. That was a disserviceto our readers."

Liston agreed that staging the photo wasinappropriate.

"If anybody's tampered with the ballots, it'syou guys," Liston said.

Liston has maintained that the council didnothing wrong by leaving the materials in thecouncil office because a May I meeting stipulatedthat the ballots and ballot box would be keptthere.

If the resolution passes the council with amajority, the council will then submit therecommendation to the Ad Board, Liston said.

Gammill's name will not appear in theresolution, Liston said, because she did notdirectly approve of the entrance. But he said thepossibility exists that members will add her nameto the document through an amendment at Sunday'smeeting.

"If they're going to put a list of names there,they should add my name, because I was the one whoapproved it," Gammill said.

Liston and Gabay both said yesterday theybelieve the resolution will pass.

Council member Melissa Garza '94 said shethought the situation was "unfortunate," but alsosaid the Ad Board resolution would probably pass

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags