Council Member Proposes Censuring Driskell

In response to comments Undergraduate Council President Fentrice D. Driskell '01 made to The Boston Globe last week, a council member proposed Wednesday night via e-mail that the council officially censure Driskell but decided yesterday to wait a week before bringing forth such legislation.

Jeffrey A. Letalien '00, one of the sponsors of the failed bill to impeach council Vice President John A. Burton '01, e-mailed 25 council members to ask for their support in censuring Driskell.

But Letalien said a majority of those he contacted wanted to give Driskell the opportunity to apologize at Monday's council meeting, leading him to hold off with his resolution for a week.

Letalien's proposed censure resolution centered on what some council members considered Driskell's improper attempts to inject the issue of race into the Burton impeachment.

Letalien's e-mail message quoted Driskell's comments to the Globe: "'I think [the impeachment is] a personal attack, and they're just trying to get one of us out of office. Racism at Harvard is a very subtle thing.'"

However, as Driskell pointed out, Letalien combined two separate quotes.

In the Globe piece, Driskell was actually quoted as saying "I think [the impeachment is] a personal attack, and they're just trying to get one of us out of office", and then elsewhere in the story , "Racism at Harvard is a very subtle thing. It's not a thing to toss around lightly, but we're beginning to wonder."

Driskell said she has been in touch with several of council members who demanded that she publicly retract her Globe remarks. She said she hopes to meet with Letalien and other sponsors of the Burton impeachment petition as early as today, so that they can work out a compromise acceptable to all.

Driskell said there has been an unfortunate lack of communication on the issue.

"I want to understand exactly where they're coming from, and they need to know where I'm coming from," she said.

Letalien and other sponsors of the Burton impeachment petition agreed that if Driskell were to apologize for suggesting that the impeachment was racially motivated, everyone would be able to move on.

"The best thing would be for Fentrice to just apologize," said Kyle D. Hawkins '02, who declined to sponsor Letalien's censure motion yesterday. "That would solve all the problems."

Michael D. Shumsky '00, who also received Letalien's e-mail message, agreed with Letalien that "the use of the race card was shameful."

But he said he wasn't sure whether it would be best to censure Driskell, to have her apologize or to ignore the issue and let it go away.

Frank X. Leonard '01, one of the prosecutors in Burton's impeachment, said he will not support Letalien's resolution either.

"A censure resolution is just for show," said Leonard.

In fact, Letalien said none of the 25 council members he e-mailed contacted him to support introducing his censure motion at this Sunday's meeting.

But at the same time, he said no one has contacted him to say that there shouldn't be a censure at all.

Letalien must convince nine other council members to sign onto the resolution before it can be placed before the council.

Letalien said others dissuaded him from airing his displeasure in a letter to The Crimson before the impeachment trial because they feared it might distract people from the issue at hand. But now that the council has ruled on Burton's impeachment, he said he thinks it is best to resolve the dispute with Driskell as soon as possible--preferably by Driskell saying that she is sorry.

Both sides agree that if they cannot achieve closure to this issue, the council will surely suffer as a result.

"[Driskell's] ability to lead is seriously compromised until she comes to terms with this," Letalien said.

Driskell said she does not dispute the importance of building good relations with Letalien and others.

"These are people who care very much about the council," she said. "We're going to have to work together."

Letalien agreed.

"Fentrice still has the opportunity to get along with everybody, because she has in the past," he said.