Dunster Tutor: 'I Live in Fear'

A tutor in Dunster House who has been under fire for allegedly influencing the master in the tutor hiring process said yesterday he is being harassed and is "living in constant fear."

Vincent W. Li '87 said his car was dented, his mail was stolen, and he has received at least a dozen harassing phone calls since he was charged with impropriety last spring.

Eight tutors said last year that Vincent Li, the assistant senior tutor in charge of hiring, had influenced Master Karel F. Liem in the hiring of Li's brother, girlfriend and two longtime friends. Li was present at the student job interview of his brother, William W. Li '84.

The Li brothers sent a letter in September to six tutors threatening to file a libel suit if they take "any further actions to propagate false and professionally damaging information."

Li's announcement of alleged threats of retaliation came one day after Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 hinted at a Wednesday night meeting that police were investigating charges of harassment against the Li brothers.

"If anybody is being harassed, I am being harassed and intimidated," Li said. "I am in fear. I live in fear. That's the bottom line."

Since the charges of unethical conduct were leveled, Li said he has been receiving phone calls in the middle of the night from people who charge him with nepotism and swear at him.

Hours after he received one such call last spring, Li said he awoke to find his new car dented. He has since bought an alarm for his car.

Li also said some students and tutors haveattempted to break into his room in search ofincriminating documents. He has changed the lockson his door and put a personal access code on hiscomputer.

Li called the police last spring when a memberof Dunster House allegedly destroyed a packagecontaining "international documents" federallyexpressed to him from the Soviet Embassy in NewYork City.

Li said he received a phone call in the middleof the night from a male impersonating HouseSuperintendent Joe O'Connor, saying he had flushedthe package down the toilet because "we don't likeyou...Fuck you and see you later."

Lt. Lawrence J. Murphy confirmed that Li hadfiled a complaint with the police about theincident. Murphy would not provide specificdetails about the investigation.

O'Connor said yesterday he did not make thephone call, which was recorded on Vincent Li'sanswering machine. He also questioned whetherthere ever was a package sent to Vincent Li.

"I'm not sure that there was a package,"O'Connor said. "It could be somebody's idea of avicious joke."

Li also said that he is continually harasseddirectly by David Bear '92, an outspoken critic ofthe Li brothers.

"David Bear sits down next to me in a verythreatening way," Li said. "How am I supposed towork in this type of environment? It's terrible."

Bear yesterday denied sitting next to VincentLi, and he called the accusation "very strange."He also said he did not know about any otherinstances of harassment against Vincent Li untilWednesday night's meeting.

"I feel bad that people are doing that to him,"Bear said. "But I hope it doesn't distract fromwhat the real issues are here."

Bear has filed a formal harassment complaintwith Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles againstthe Li brothers, Vincent and William Li confirmedyesterday.

William Li said he told Jewett about theincidents in a meeting held two weeks ago.

"Harassment seems to have gone both ways," Lisaid in a telephone interview yesterday. "None ofthis seems to be harassment, but if it is, it is atwo way street."

William Li also disputed Karel Liem'sstatement, from Wednesday night's meeting, thatthe two tutors were asked to write a formal letterof apology and retract the letter they sentthreatening a libel suit to the six tutors. "Kareldid not ask us to do either of those things," Lisaid yesterday. "Liem's statement is incorrect."

William Li said he and his brother decided toapologize to the tutors themselves. Li said he has"not yet decided" if he would retract the letter

Li also said some students and tutors haveattempted to break into his room in search ofincriminating documents. He has changed the lockson his door and put a personal access code on hiscomputer.

Li called the police last spring when a memberof Dunster House allegedly destroyed a packagecontaining "international documents" federallyexpressed to him from the Soviet Embassy in NewYork City.

Li said he received a phone call in the middleof the night from a male impersonating HouseSuperintendent Joe O'Connor, saying he had flushedthe package down the toilet because "we don't likeyou...Fuck you and see you later."

Lt. Lawrence J. Murphy confirmed that Li hadfiled a complaint with the police about theincident. Murphy would not provide specificdetails about the investigation.

O'Connor said yesterday he did not make thephone call, which was recorded on Vincent Li'sanswering machine. He also questioned whetherthere ever was a package sent to Vincent Li.

"I'm not sure that there was a package,"O'Connor said. "It could be somebody's idea of avicious joke."

Li also said that he is continually harasseddirectly by David Bear '92, an outspoken critic ofthe Li brothers.

"David Bear sits down next to me in a verythreatening way," Li said. "How am I supposed towork in this type of environment? It's terrible."

Bear yesterday denied sitting next to VincentLi, and he called the accusation "very strange."He also said he did not know about any otherinstances of harassment against Vincent Li untilWednesday night's meeting.

"I feel bad that people are doing that to him,"Bear said. "But I hope it doesn't distract fromwhat the real issues are here."

Bear has filed a formal harassment complaintwith Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles againstthe Li brothers, Vincent and William Li confirmedyesterday.

William Li said he told Jewett about theincidents in a meeting held two weeks ago.

"Harassment seems to have gone both ways," Lisaid in a telephone interview yesterday. "None ofthis seems to be harassment, but if it is, it is atwo way street."

William Li also disputed Karel Liem'sstatement, from Wednesday night's meeting, thatthe two tutors were asked to write a formal letterof apology and retract the letter they sentthreatening a libel suit to the six tutors. "Kareldid not ask us to do either of those things," Lisaid yesterday. "Liem's statement is incorrect."

William Li said he and his brother decided toapologize to the tutors themselves. Li said he has"not yet decided" if he would retract the letter