PBH Cabinet Meeting Closed

The president and vice president of the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) board of directors decided last night to restrict attendance at this Thursday's cabinet meeting, when it will vote on removing one of its members.

Board members voted August 10 to ask Secretary Harvetta E. Nero '96 to resign her position. Nero was accused of three violations of PBHA vehicles policy after she was involved in three driving accidents in PBHA vans this summer.

Nero has not resigned and continues to fulfill all of her PBHA duties. The University has threatened to remove PBHA from its insurance policy if it fails to address Nero's case satisfactorily.

At last night's board meeting which The Crimson was allowed to attend, President John B. King '96-'95 and Vice President Christina Ho '96 decided to bar The Crimson from Thursday's cabinet meeting after one board member suggested the restriction and several others voiced support.

"Christina, do you want The Crimson to come [Thursday]?" King asked at the board meeting after the suggestion.

"I don't necessarily want the Crimson to come," Ho answered.

King then announced the upcoming meeting will be "closed."

PBHA bylaws do not mention a procedure allowing the Board of Directors to close cabinet meetings, which are open to all of PBHA's 1,500 student volunteers.

But only members of the PBHA cabinet--which includes chairs of the organization's 51 student committees and the 17-member board of directors--may vote on Nero's removal, which requires a two-thirds majority.

King and Ho also suggested last night that Thursday's vote be a secret ballot. But King said the cabinet must first vote--publicly--to use a secret ballot.

Although King and Ho declared Thursday's meeting "closed," minutes are a matter of public record and will be available afterwards.

Reshma Jagsi '95, PBHA cabinet coordinator and former secretary, will take the minutes for the section of the meeting involving Nero, King said.

Nero said after the meeting that she was opposed to closing Thursday's cabinet proceedings to the press because board members have spoken with The Crimson openly so far.

"I'm very against their closing the meeting." Nero said last night. "If we're in for a penny, we're in for a pound."

At last night's meeting the Board also adopted a retroactive vehicles policy under which student drivers found at fault in any accidents in a PBHA van since January 1, 1993, will be removed from the agency's certified drivers list.

About 10 students, including at least one board member, were decertified last night.