News

Progressive Labor Party Organizes Solidarity March With Harvard Yard Encampment

News

Encampment Protesters Briefly Raise 3 Palestinian Flags Over Harvard Yard

News

Mayor Wu Cancels Harvard Event After Affinity Groups Withdraw Over Emerson Encampment Police Response

News

Harvard Yard To Remain Indefinitely Closed Amid Encampment

News

HUPD Chief Says Harvard Yard Encampment is Peaceful, Defends Students’ Right to Protest

Freund Will Probe 15-20 Appointees

NEWS ANALYSIS

By Samuel Z. Goldhaber

The Freund Committee has revealed the probable scope of its investigations, suggesting that it may study the actions of 15 to 20 Corporation appointees. The committee's exact task has been unclear since President Pusey instructed it three weeks ago to investigate "possible misconduct" of Faculty members during April.

When Paul A. Freund, Carl M. Loeb University Professor, was asked whether the scope of his committee's investigations would be on the order of 15 to 20 Corporation appointees, he replied affirmatively.

The Committee will definitely investigate all Corporation appointees arrested for occupying University Hall, Freund said.

Nine Corporation appointees were arrested: eight teaching fellows-who also fall under the jurisdiction of the Committee of 15-and one instructor, who is only under the jurisdiction of the Freund Committee.

This means that 6 to 11 Corporation appointees who were not arrested will also be investigated by the Freund Committee.

The committee is still in the process of deciding criteria, Freund said. But the committee may investigate acts such as turning over Emerson Hall classrooms to strikers, participating in the CRSR, and cancelling classes.

At best, investigating 6-11 additional Corporation appointees is a self-imposed limitation of the committee. With a mandate to investigate "possible misconduct," the Freund Committee could readily investigate 50 people.

Confusion about the Freund Committee's purpose also arose from its apparently needless duplication of the investigations of the Committee of 15.

Freund revealed last week that "individuals who fall in the province of both committees will be given an option to accept the findings of the Committee of 15 or choose a new hearing with the Committee of Five".

Freund said that if the individual does accept the Committee of 15's Findings of Fact, this finding will constitute the report of the Freund Committee.

If an individual refuses to choose one of the options, then "We would assume that he will accept the findings of the Committee of 15," Freund said.

Some Corporation appointees have accused the committee of purposely causing them mental anxiety by not sending letters to the people the committee is planning to investigate.

Freund explained that the delay results from waiting for the Committee of 15 to hold hearings on the "particular individual" before sending him a letter.

For those Corporation appointees who are not students, the Freund Committee is processing complaints before sending out letters.

The Committee has already held hearings on four of the nine Corporation appointees who were arrested in University Hall, including Jack Stauder '61, instructor in Social Anthropology.

The three teaching fellows are John C. Berg, teaching fellow in Government, Temma E. Kaplan, teaching fellow in History and Literature, and Carl D. Offner, teaching fellow in Mathematics.

The other five teaching fellows who were arrested will definitely receive letters. They are Norman Daniels, teaching fellow in Philosophy, Robert C. Ghent, teaching fellow in Mathematics, Paul R. Gomberg, teaching fellow in Philosophy, Stephen J. Likosky, teaching fellow in Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Thomas E. Staley, teaching fellow in Social Studies and Philosophy.

The letter says, "Will you advise me as promptly as possible, by telephone or letter, whether you would prefer our committee to establish the facts on the basis of the relevant evidence submitted to it on May 27, 1969, or would prefer to elect (for purposes of the inquiry by the Committee of Five) to accept the findings of fact of the panel of the Committee of Fifteen?

"If no reply is received within five days of the mailing of this letter we will assume that you have made the letter election.

"Faithfully yours, Paul A. Freund, Chairman"

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

Tags