Eliot House Co-Chair Resigns

A co-chair of the Eliot House committee resigned unexpectedly during the group's Sunday night meeting after a series of disputes with his co-chair.

Vincent Fiorino '95 quit 15 minutes into the meeting. He believed that his fellow co-chair, Allison Rossi '95, had been abusing her authority by allocating house resources without consulting, him sources said yesterday.

The sources also said that Fiorino was upset with house officials, including masters Stephen A. Mitchell and Kristine L. Forsgard, for not considering his complaints about Rossi seriously enough. The masters did not return phone calls yesterday.

The house committee is holding a meeting at 7 p.m. this Sunday to discuss the matter. An election to replace Fiorino is scheduled for 10 p.m. the same night.

After Fiorino's announcement, two other committee members--house social chair Steve McCauley '96 and house affairs chair Laura Anderson '95--also resigned, according to sources who attended the meeting. McCauley could not be reached for comment, and Anderson declined to answer questions.

But Rossi said in an interview last night that she often had to make decisions without talking to Fiorino because "Vinny wasn't always available." Some committee members supported her view and charged that Fiorino missed committee meetings in the spring.

"Vinny's absence was definitely noticeable," said committee member Kevin M. Davis '96, who is a Crimson editor.

Fiorino initially had no comment, but in an interview late last night, he defended his actions.

"I resigned because I can't sit back and watch things that I think are morally wrong," Fiorino said. "I'm only commenting because I feel like I have to defend myself."

Some committee members charged that Rossi, acting without her co-chair's consent, bought approximately 600 house t-shirts last spring--more than the total number of students in Eliot House. The committee has sold only a small fraction of the shirts, sources said.

Rossi acknowledged last night that she made "an error in judgment" in ordering the shirts. But she said she could not consult with Fiorino beforehand because he "wasn't around much last semester."

In a more recent case, Rossi decided to donate at least some of the house committee's alcohol--reportedly champagne--to a walk held this month which raised money for the Jimmy Fund, a charity for children's cancer. Sources said Fiorino, who wasn't informed about the decision. was furious.

But Rossi said she had no way of contacting Fiorino because he was out of town the weekend of the walk.

"Some people have said that wasn't a good decision, but they weren't there," she said. "That's part of being a leader. Sometimes you have to make decisions with risk."

Rossi formally apologized in a meeting last week, according to minutes posted in the house. Committee members said she offered to pay for the alcohol.

Some committee members, including Davis, said that Fiorino made an unwarranted personal attack on Rossi.

Fiorino organized what he called an "informational discussion" of house committee issues one night last week, and some said the meeting's sole purpose was to explore strategies for attacking Rossi. Fiorino denied that allegation last night

But Rossi said she had no way of contacting Fiorino because he was out of town the weekend of the walk.

"Some people have said that wasn't a good decision, but they weren't there," she said. "That's part of being a leader. Sometimes you have to make decisions with risk."

Rossi formally apologized in a meeting last week, according to minutes posted in the house. Committee members said she offered to pay for the alcohol.

Some committee members, including Davis, said that Fiorino made an unwarranted personal attack on Rossi.

Fiorino organized what he called an "informational discussion" of house committee issues one night last week, and some said the meeting's sole purpose was to explore strategies for attacking Rossi. Fiorino denied that allegation last night