Board Exonerates Crimson Staffers

The Administrative Board has exonerated three Crimson staffers accused by the Undergraduate Council of improper behavior in an unauthorized May 10 entry into the council office.

The council voted on May 15 to recommend Ad Board action against Crimson reporter Todd F. Braunstein '97 and former council member Anjalee C. Davis for entering the office at 12:30 a.m. and staging a photograph.

Braunstein and Davis were both charged with trespassing and tampering with council property. Davis was also charged with refusal to turn over council property.

The resolution also advocated Ad Board proceedings against Crimson President Marion B. Gammill '95 and Managing Editor Joe Mathews '95 for conspiracy to trespassing.

Braunstein said yesterday that he believed the Ad Board's choice to absolve him was valid.

"Justice has been served," Braunstein said. "I think the Ad Board's decision was a fair one. It's restored my faith in Harvard's judicial system."

Council Vice President Joshua D. Liston '95 said that he trusts the Ad Board's decision.

"We [the U.C.] didn't have the ability to investigate the charges ourselves and so we took it to the Ad Board," Liston said. "We washed our hands of it. If the Ad Board looked at the evidence and decided they were blameless, then that's all right with us."

The Crimson could not reach Davis for comment, although she indicated last month that she wanted her case heard before the Student-FacultyJudiciary Committee. Unlike those of the Ad Board,the committee's hearings are public.

Davis, on leave spring semester, wasinvestigating allegations of impropriety in aCollege-wide referendum she was co-administeringwith the council.

Braunstein came to the office after Davisinformed The Crimson that blank ballots were leftunsecured next to the ballot box, where anyonewith a key to the offices could reach them.

Davis and Braunstein entered the office using akey she had retained from her council tenure. Butshe told Braunstein and Mathews that a councilmember she refused to identify had given her thekey and permission to enter.

When the two entered the office, they foundthat there were, according to Braunstein, "reamsand reams" of blank ballots lying in envelopesnext to the ballot box.

Braunstein called a photographer, whodocumented the scene--but only after Braunsteinparty removed the ballots from an envelope.

Gammill played no role in approving the entry,but ultimately authorized running the photographand related story in the May 11 Crimson.

In late May, Braunstein, Gammill and Mathewswere asked to submit statements to the Ad Boardgiving their views on what had occurred.

On June 16, Braunstein was informed that hiscase was "scratched," which means that the AdBoard will put a letter in his file saying that itinvestigated and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Gammill said her case was also scratched.Although Mathews said he has not been informed ofhis standing with the Ad Board, his senior tutorsaid she would notify him if anything happenedwith the Ad Board, and he has not heard from her.

Both Mathews and Gammill said they were pleasedwith the decision of the Ad Board.

"I thought the Ad Board had more importantthings to deal with and I'm glad it's over,"Gammill said.

And Mathews said that The Crimson will not beinfluenced by campus organization trying to useadministrative bodies to their own ends.

"Our readers should understand from this thatwe won't be intimidated by anyone who tries to usethe Ad Board or any other disciplinary body todictate what we put in the paper," Mathews saidyesterday.

Liston said he believes the incident will serveas an example.

"I think it'll make everyone more careful,"Liston said.

Council Secretary Brandon C. Gregoire '95 saidhe accepts the Ad Board's decision, but regretsthat nothing happened to the Crimson staffers.

"I can abide by it," Gregoire said. "But Istill think they [the Crimson staffers] had somecomplicity in the whole thing and they ought to bereprimanded for that."

Davis charged Gregoire with verbal harassmentand recommended Ad Board action against him afterGregoire left a "disturbing telephone message" onher answering machine at the end of May.

Gregorie is writing up a statement to presentto the Ad Board. Although he said he is uncertainwhat will happen when the body convenes inSeptember, he said yesterday, "I have a feelingthat they probably won't take it up."

New U.C. Developments

Looking toward the fall semester, Dean ofStudents Archie C. Epps III said earlier this weekthat the College administration has no plans tomake binding a referendum the council ruledadvisory on May 15.

Issues on the referendum included a term billhike and the direct election of Council officials.

"I think there's no way to address all theniceties that the petition issue raised lastyear," Epps said in an interview earlier thisweek. "The best thing is to take a fresh start."

The council overruled its parliamentarian'sdecision that the referendum be binding on thegrounds that small student turnout--about 22percent--was not large enough to effect majorchanges.

The council pre-approved a rule stipulatingthat 50 percent of the College need vote to makethe referendum binding.

Epps' statement could represent a new hands-offapproach for the administration in councilmatters.

During the spring semester, Epps hinted atadministrative intervention when another councilreferendum was riddled with improprieties.

And last fall, Peps stepped in and wrestedcontrol of the election from presidential hopefulMichael P. Byes '94 and potential executivecandidate Randall A. Fine '96 on the grounds of aconflict of interest. Beys and Fine held the toptwo council executive positions at the time.

In an interview yesterday, Liston said hewelcomed Epp's words.

"It's good to hear that the college is lettingthe representatives of the students finally governthemselves," Liston said.

Of the elections next, Liston added, "Idefinitely think that you can expect to seecandidates next year use some of the issues [onthe referendum] that they either are in favor ofor that they oppose in the campaign literature."

In that, he agrees with Epps.

"The candidates should [run] on the basis ofthe issues addressed by the referendum," Eppssaid

Davis, on leave spring semester, wasinvestigating allegations of impropriety in aCollege-wide referendum she was co-administeringwith the council.

Braunstein came to the office after Davisinformed The Crimson that blank ballots were leftunsecured next to the ballot box, where anyonewith a key to the offices could reach them.

Davis and Braunstein entered the office using akey she had retained from her council tenure. Butshe told Braunstein and Mathews that a councilmember she refused to identify had given her thekey and permission to enter.

When the two entered the office, they foundthat there were, according to Braunstein, "reamsand reams" of blank ballots lying in envelopesnext to the ballot box.

Braunstein called a photographer, whodocumented the scene--but only after Braunsteinparty removed the ballots from an envelope.

Gammill played no role in approving the entry,but ultimately authorized running the photographand related story in the May 11 Crimson.

In late May, Braunstein, Gammill and Mathewswere asked to submit statements to the Ad Boardgiving their views on what had occurred.

On June 16, Braunstein was informed that hiscase was "scratched," which means that the AdBoard will put a letter in his file saying that itinvestigated and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Gammill said her case was also scratched.Although Mathews said he has not been informed ofhis standing with the Ad Board, his senior tutorsaid she would notify him if anything happenedwith the Ad Board, and he has not heard from her.

Both Mathews and Gammill said they were pleasedwith the decision of the Ad Board.

"I thought the Ad Board had more importantthings to deal with and I'm glad it's over,"Gammill said.

And Mathews said that The Crimson will not beinfluenced by campus organization trying to useadministrative bodies to their own ends.

"Our readers should understand from this thatwe won't be intimidated by anyone who tries to usethe Ad Board or any other disciplinary body todictate what we put in the paper," Mathews saidyesterday.

Liston said he believes the incident will serveas an example.

"I think it'll make everyone more careful,"Liston said.

Council Secretary Brandon C. Gregoire '95 saidhe accepts the Ad Board's decision, but regretsthat nothing happened to the Crimson staffers.

"I can abide by it," Gregoire said. "But Istill think they [the Crimson staffers] had somecomplicity in the whole thing and they ought to bereprimanded for that."

Davis charged Gregoire with verbal harassmentand recommended Ad Board action against him afterGregoire left a "disturbing telephone message" onher answering machine at the end of May.

Gregorie is writing up a statement to presentto the Ad Board. Although he said he is uncertainwhat will happen when the body convenes inSeptember, he said yesterday, "I have a feelingthat they probably won't take it up."

New U.C. Developments

Looking toward the fall semester, Dean ofStudents Archie C. Epps III said earlier this weekthat the College administration has no plans tomake binding a referendum the council ruledadvisory on May 15.

Issues on the referendum included a term billhike and the direct election of Council officials.

"I think there's no way to address all theniceties that the petition issue raised lastyear," Epps said in an interview earlier thisweek. "The best thing is to take a fresh start."

The council overruled its parliamentarian'sdecision that the referendum be binding on thegrounds that small student turnout--about 22percent--was not large enough to effect majorchanges.

The council pre-approved a rule stipulatingthat 50 percent of the College need vote to makethe referendum binding.

Epps' statement could represent a new hands-offapproach for the administration in councilmatters.

During the spring semester, Epps hinted atadministrative intervention when another councilreferendum was riddled with improprieties.

And last fall, Peps stepped in and wrestedcontrol of the election from presidential hopefulMichael P. Byes '94 and potential executivecandidate Randall A. Fine '96 on the grounds of aconflict of interest. Beys and Fine held the toptwo council executive positions at the time.

In an interview yesterday, Liston said hewelcomed Epp's words.

"It's good to hear that the college is lettingthe representatives of the students finally governthemselves," Liston said.

Of the elections next, Liston added, "Idefinitely think that you can expect to seecandidates next year use some of the issues [onthe referendum] that they either are in favor ofor that they oppose in the campaign literature."

In that, he agrees with Epps.

"The candidates should [run] on the basis ofthe issues addressed by the referendum," Eppssaid