After a summer of intense debate, The Crimson's executive board voted Sunday to censure Crimson President Ira E. Stoll '94 for "his words and actions" on the morning of Commencement this past June.
The nearly unanimous vote was the board's response to events which rocked The Crimson on June 10, 1993. That morning, Stoll was involved in a fracas with several first-year female editors. During the scuffle, Stoll enraged other editors by using obscenities which he and other members of the staff have since called hurtful and degrading to women.
"I realize that I made a very bad mistake," Stoll said. "I am very sorry for what I did, and have apologized--repeatedly and publicly. There is no excuse for it."
The executive board's vote of censure was passed with a statement which reads, "Stoll's words were reprehensible and inconsistent with this institution's standards and principles; his actions were inappropriate and unacceptable."
The statement goes on to say that the board has adopted a version of But one news executive, Associate ManagingEditor D. Richard de Silva '94, saying that theapology and the executive board's vote were notsufficient action, has announced to the news boardhis intentions to soon resign. De Silva had written in an open letter to TheCrimson's staff the afternoon of the originalincident that he would relinquish his position ifStoll were to continue as president. "As much as I love The Crimson, I could not beon the same executive board as Stoll after heattacked those reporters," de Silva saidyesterday. "He's compromised our ideals as aninstitution, and our credibility as a newsorganization." Since the incident, a petition expressing alack of confidence in Stoll has been signed bymore than a dozen editors, including senior newsand business executives. But Stoll has said onmore than one occasion that he has no plans toresign. In the early hours of June 10, several Crimsoneditors, mostly first-year women, took thepresident's antique chair, engraved with the namesof past Crimson presidents, from the second floorof the building to the first-floor women'sbathroom. Some editors were bruised in atug-of-war that ensued between Stoll and thefirst-years over the chair as the theft, begun asa prank, turned serious. Editors say Stoll was eventually pulled awayfrom the chair, and soon afterward used the words"fucking counts." Stoll said part of theprovocation was a demand that he remove his shirtin exchange for the chair. Editorial Chair Joanna M. Weiss '94, who as theCrimson's clerk chaired Sunday's executive boardmeeting, said that while she feels Stoll displayed"extremely poor judgment at that time," he is notinherently sexist. "I've worked with Ira very closely in the pastthree years--on special projects, on the summerCrimson--and have never found him to be sexist,"she said. But some other editors believe that Stoll is,if not sexist, at least insensitive--and havecalled his apologies insincere. "I feel that he thinks it was wrong, but it'sbecause he recognizes the fact that everyone elsethinks it's wrong," said Tara H. Arden-Smith '96,a Crimson editor. "I don't think he understandseven now the magnitude and the lastingrepercussion of what happened." Weiss says that perception exists because Stollhas had trouble articulating his views and ideas. "It took him some time to understand thegravity of his actions," she said. "I felt thatonce he did, however, his apologies have beensincere--even though they haven't come across thatway to everyone." Other editors say they are glad the boardresponded to the incidents of June 10, and hopeThe Crimson will find a way to put the past threemonths behind it--an attempt which Managing EditorGady A. Epstein '94 said will take a "collectiveeffort." "I hope that the community and people withinThe Crimson will be able to look forward with anaim to ensuring that The Crimson be a comfortableplace for women, and that incidents like thisnever happen again," Epstein said yesterday. And editor Joe Mathews '95 said, "We [at TheCrimson] cover, and in some cases attempt toexpose, behavior just like this. It is importantfor us to deal openly and strongly with incidentslike this, if we are to not be guilty ofhypocrisy.