Student Accuses HSA of Unfair Firing

A Harvard student who was fired by Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) earlier this month without advance notice and allegedly without an explanation of the reasons for his firing has accused HSA of acting "unfairly, unethically and malignantly" in his case, and may appeal the firing to HSA's board of directors.

Fred Wei-Han Houn '79, a spokesman for the Task Force on Affirmative Action, sent a letter this week to the Harvard Corporation, HAS and The Crimson outlining the circumstances surrounding his firing, and calling his case a "general challenge to HSA's claim to be a 'service to the Harvard community."'

Houn, who served during the past summer as the co-manager of HSA's refrigerator division, was informed on October 10 by Clarence Martin '77-3, the other co-manager, that he was fired from that post, which would normally have expired in February.

Houn said yesterday that he received no advance warning and was offered no explanation of the firing from Daniel Del Vecchio, the general manager of HSA, or Stephan Pollack, president of HSA--both of whom apparently authorized the firing.

Houn also charged that because his division attempted to fill affirmative-action guidelines by hiring greater numbers of blacks and other minorities, many of the workers in the division were subjected to "racist remarks from other managers."

Martin said yesterday that "all of us have agreed that the situation should be looked into."

Del Vecchio said yesterday that he is unaware of the circumstances surrounding Houn's firing.

Martin said Pollack approached him earlier this month and asked "if I thought things could be done better without Fred [Houn]. When he said that, I though he was talking about firing him; but all this was done without consulting Fred."

The firing apparently followed a busy two-week period during which Houn failed to appear at work on a regular basis.

"It seems only fair that if there has been problems with my performance that I was at least entitled to some discussion or warning on this matter," Houn said in his letter.

Del Vecchio said he has contacted Houn "to set up some sort of meeting where we can determine the nature of the problem."

Houn said he will only agree to such a meeting "when they admit that there is a grievance," and added that he may seek a hearing before the 20-member HSA board of trustees, the final tier in the company's internal grievance mechanism.