Rowers Will Face Arraignment Over Attack

Two Northeastern University rowers will be arraigned next month for their alleged involvement in a March 8 incident that left Harvard heavyweight crew member Malcolm F. Howard ’05 hospitalized, sources said yesterday.

Police confirmed that two students will face charges in connection with the attack but declined to identify the school they attend. According to Howard, the students both attend Northeastern.

Howard, who was released from the hospital on March 10 after suffering “severe facial injuries,” said that he is doing well and that he returned to rowing on Monday.

Harvard University Police Department spokesperson Steven G. Catalano said yesterday that one of the suspects will be charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon—the ground—and the other will be charged with larceny. According to Catalano, the arraignment will take place on April 23 in Cambridge District Court.

Catalano said he could not release the names of the suspects because they have not been formally charged, and Howard said he was not sure of the names of the people being arraigned.

“I hope the guys who were responsible for this get in trouble for it,” Howard said. “I’m not trying to be vindictive, but I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

He added he did not know why he was injured but said he felt any rivalry between the two schools was unrelated.

“That had nothing to do with Northeastern rowing team and Harvard rowing team. I do have a couple good friends on the Northeastern team,” Howard said.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged assault remain unclear because Howard, as a result of his injuries, can not recall the events leading up to them.

Howard’s injuries occurred during a charity auction at the Weld Boathouse with rowers from the Harvard and Northeastern crew teams.

At some point, after one of the Northeastern rowers allegedly stole his sunglasses, Howard said he left the auction to retrieve them.

Howard added that he could not recall what happened next, but he was found around 11 p.m. lying on the ground at the corner of JFK St. and Memorial Drive and transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where he stayed for two nights.

The coach of Northeastern’s crew team could not be reached for comment yesterday.

—Staff writer Jenifer L. Steinhardt can be reached at steinhar@fas.harvard.edu.