MIT Students Disciplined For Printing Sex Article

Four students at MIT were disciplined yesterday by a faculty committee for publishing an article which rated 36 MIT men on their sexual performances.

The article which appeared in the April 28 issue of "thursday," an MIT undergraduate newspaper, listed the names of the men and evaluated their sexual abilities with a four star system and explicit adjectives.

Senior Scott Betterman, who originated the idea for the story, will be suspended from MIT for three months. Roxanne Ritchie and Susan Gilbert, the co-authors, will be placed on formal probation and John Roselli, editor of "thursday," has been given "internal probation," which will not be placed on his record.

Tradition, Tradition

"There has always been a tradition of MIT being able to discipline its students, and very few people would question their authority," Roselli said yesterday. Roselli added that he does not regret having run the article, but regrets having printed the names of the men mentioned.

Roselli said he believes the faculty committee on discipline, which sent letters to the students yesterday afternoon, viewed itself as an official representative of the University.

Two students mentioned in the article submitted complaints to the dean's office, and numerous alumni, parents and students in the community over the past few weeks have vehemently protested the appearance of the article.

Roselli said no one has filed a libel suit about the article, even though lawyers contacted yesterday say the piece is potentially libelous.

Robert Resnick, president of the Association of Student Activities which reprimanded "thursday" for the article last Friday, said yesterday he was very surprised at the faculty decision.

"Boy, that's pretty severe. I didn't think the faculty would be that tough," Resnick said.

None of the officials at MIT or the other three students involved would comment on the decision yesterday.

Smut and Taste

The Massachusetts statute for privacy states that any person has the right to be protected against a violation of privacy. What constitutes a violation is subject to interpretation, Jonathan Brant, assistant attorney general for Massachusetts said yesterday. L.H.