Faculty Begins Discussing Sex Harassment Question

The Faculty yesterday began its trust official discussion of Harvard's sexual harassment policy since a widely published harassment last spring. In an unusual single-issue meeting, the Faculty Council devoted almost its entire two-hour session to a wide ranging discussion of the policy, but agreed only to continue deliberation in future meetings.

Members addressed a special six-page "discussion memorandum" prepared by Marlyn M. Lewis '70, assistant dean of the college, and excerpts of the recent report of a special Harvard-Radcliffe Committee to Examine and Review the Role and Status of Women Undergraduates.

The report of that committee, which is comprised of members of the Harvard board of Overseers and the Radcliffe Board of Trustees, broadly supports current policy and procedure.

But it also expresses concern that the University increase the level of publicity on the issue, and asks that further evidence be shown to the University community that action is indeed taken against offenders.

The Council meeting "was a very wide" ranging discussion and no conclusions were reached John R. Marquand, secretary to the Council, said yesterday.

The discussion was the first by the Council Since Derek Walcott, a visiting professor of English, was officially admonished by Dean of the Faculty Henry Rosovsky for making sexual advance to a freshman student.

Council members said the discussion which will continue at the group's next meeting in two weeks--may eventually lend to a letter from a dean to all undergraduates about sexual harassment, and special liaisons on the issue in each of the Houses.

A Council member, who refused to be identified, said that these would probably be at least meetings devoted to the issue. This is highly unusual since the Council usually dispenses with at least three issues in a regular two-hour meeting, the council member added.

One of the major points discussed at the meeting was whether to tell student victims even less than they are now told about the resolution of their cases, because students who have explicit details then have the power to reveal this information to the press.

There's a tightrope to walk between the privacy of the individuals involved and full communication among all parties," William T. Vettering, associate professor of Physics and a member of the Council, said yesterday.

David Layzer, Menzel Professor of Astrophysics and a member of the council, said that Council members were very concerned about how the publicity might effect the future career of a professor "I think everyone felt worried about branding an individual for all time," he said.

John B. Fox Jr. '99, dean of the College, had told the committee that produced the report that the usual criticisms of Harvard is the lack of student-faculty contact.

Council members expressed concern that too much publicity of the problem of sexual harassment may have a chilling effect on student-faculty contact.

Fox similarly told the committee that produced the report that Harvard's often criticized student-faculty contact might be adversely affected by highly public reprimands.

But even on these issues there was apparently to consensus. "I don't know where we are now It's a complex sensitive issue," said Marjorie Garber, professor of English and a member of the Council. "We're talking very freely, but we're now here near knowing what one another thinks."

Michael W. Miller assisted in the reporting for this article