Woman Files Discrimination Grievances

A recently tired staff assistant in Harvard's Office of Fiscal Services has formally charged the University with sex and race discrimination in grievances filed with the University and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EFOC).

Pearl A Croxton, a 10-year veteran in the fiscal office filed the complaints on June 15 four days after she was fired. She said earlier this week that she will pursue this thing as far as it has to go to the Supreme Court if she is not reinstated.

But after meeting with Harvard labor relations attomies and her superiors in Holyoke Center yesterday. Croxton in an interview emotionally denied any anger toward the University and said she would "drop the whole thing immediately" if rehired.

Concedes University Has Case

She did not withdraw her charge that she had been fired because she is Black and a woman, but she said that officials have files which show that she was frequently late to work apparently the official reason for her being let go.

To tell the truth they have the records to prove that I may be wrong that maybe my tardiness is greater than someone else's," Croxton said. "That showed me a different out look," she added.

Harvard officials unanimously refused to comment on the details of the case, but Edward W Powers associate general counsel said attornies will cooperate with an investigation by the Boston chapter of the EFOC.

Federal and NAACP Involvement

The federal agency will try to mediate a settlement of Croxton's grievance but if it finds merit in the complaint and Harvard does not rehire Croxton the EFOC will encourage her to sue the University John Ricket and EFOC caseworker said Wednesday.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has also offered to assist Croxton, a long time member of the civil rights organization.

Government Professor Martin L. Kilson Jr. at0tended yesterday's meeting as an NAACP representative, but he declined to comment on the case other than to say that he would serve as a "friendly counsel" to Croxton.

The discrimination grievance first became public. Croxton said, when she mentioned it during an interview with WNEV television during last week's NAACP conference in Boston.

Separate Harvard Grievance

The separate Harvard grievance could end up before a three member internal mediation board with the power to make a binding decision if no settlement is reached in preliminary meetings, Harvard attornies said.

Powers said that his office will handle both grievance proceedings for the University. He estimated that about 20 such complaints arise each year and said that the number is rising "because employees see that the process can work if there is a problem."

Croxton's Colleagues Disagree

Two former colleagues of Croxton's still employed in the fiscal department disagreed in separate interviews over whether her complaint was valid.

One man who agreed to be identified only as Black and "a co-worker" said, "I think both sex discrimination and racial problems were involved" in the firing.

He added, "I'm looking for another job because the [racial] situation here is intolerable." The source, who was the first to inform. The Crimson of Croxton's complaint, did not cite specific examples of discrimination other than Croxton's failure to receive promotions above the lowest staff level and her June firing.

However, another employee who refused to be identified said, "I don't think this whole business has so much to do with a racial thing; it's just office politics."

Croxton and the first source mentioned the name of their supervisor, Stephen W. Homer, the director of scholarships, in connection with discrimination. But neither was willing to give a specific example of racism or sexism other than Croxton's case.

Croxton yesterday described her boss as "willing to listen" at their early afternoon meeting. She also said officials had promised to contact her soon with a preliminary response to her complaint.

Earlier Charges

On Wednesday, Croxton had charged that she had been "very much discriminated against in not getting any promotions from the lowest level" of the staff.

"Because of the politicking in the office," she added. "I have just been overlooked as a Black person and a woman."

Others who apparently attended yesterday's Holyoke Center meeting included Powers. Financial Vice President Thomas O'Brien, Robert H Scott, director of financial systems, and Croxton's attorney