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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | March 12, 2020
HUPA Calls for Independent HUPD Review By EMa r. schumer Crimson Staff Writer
The executive board members of the Harvard University Police Association union said Monday that they do not have a high degree of confidence in the ongoing climate review of Harvard’s police because of department leadership’s involvement. The four officers who sit on HUPA’s executive board — President Michael J. Allen, Vice President Joseph E. Steverman, Treasurer Louis W. Favreau, and Secretary Michael E. Davenport — said in Monday interviews that they want an independent third party to carry out and oversee the review. “We as an e-board believe the department has the right to have a review,” Allen said. “We just feel and have heard from many union members that any such review should be done by external persons who then report to the University.” “We don’t believe anyone internal should be involved in the review,” he added. Harvard University Police Department Chief Francis D. “Bud” Riley began a review into the culture of his department at the beginning of February. In an email sent to department employees, Riley wrote that the review was prompted by a January Crimson investigation, which found repeated instances of racism and sexism within HUPD and cited allegations that the department’s leadership displays favoritism toward some and retaliates against officers who raise concerns. Two weeks ago, Riley wrote in an email to the department that he appointed a pair of outside law enforcement experts to oversee a review of the department’s culture and its dealings with the University more broadly. Riley also wrote that he had selected five HUPD employees and a Harvard Human Resources representative to serve on the review’s “working group,”
The Harvard University Police Association union reported doubts about an ongoing review about the department. james s. bikales—contributing photographer
which he tasked with reviewing HUPD’s procedures for handling internal complaints and employee morale, among other issues. Members of the working group will solicit feedback from HUPD employees and University affiliates outside of the department. The working group will report their findings to Riley as well as University Executive Vice President Katie N. Lapp, according to Riley’s email. University President Lawrence S. Bacow said in an interview last week that he supports the HUPD internal review. He deferred all questions regarding the review to Lapp. Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on the union’s concerns on Lapp’s behalf. When asked for comment, HUPD spokesperson Steven G.
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Catalano wrote in an email that the review will seek advice from outside experts and will share its findings at the end of the academic year. He added that the working group has begun conducting interviews. Steverman said a review of HUPD is “a step in the right direction” but cited concerns with the current review’s structure. Steverman said he does not believe the review will shed light on officers’ concerns because they are reluctant to speak openly to the working group. The working group consists of HUPD employees spanning the department’s ranks who are supposed to periodically update Riley on their findings. “I think that the level of trust is not the level of trust that’s necessary to get an honest answer,” he said. Steverman also said he is aware that some officers have
questioned whether the concerns they disclose to the working group would be kept confidential. Catalano wrote in his email that the working group has offered department employees channels for expressing concerns anonymously. Favreau said he believes Riley’s involvement in the review will prevent it from objectively interrogating his leadership. “It’s an internal review of the department,” Favreau said. “Shouldn’t that also include the chief?” Favreau also said the University should initiate a review conducted entirely by an independent party if it wants to accurately assess Harvard’s police force. “I would imagine any company — if they want to truly find out what’s going on within — they get people from without to do the investigation,” he said.
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Harvard Testing Two for Virus
The ongoing review marks the fourth formal assessment of HUPD during Riley’s tenure. In 1999, criminologist and Harvard Kennedy School research fellow George L. Kelling wrote a report of the department that was commissioned by Harvard and Riley. Kelling cited poor morale inside the department and conflict between Riley and some employees in his findings. In 2008, former Harvard Human Resources representative Ann Dexter conducted the second review of the department during Riley’s leadership. The University declined The Crimson’s request for Dexter’s findings. The following year, prompted by a series of incidents involving HUPD officers and minority Harvard undergraduates, then-University President Drew G. Faust appointed former Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph C. Martin II to assess HUPD’s relationship with University affiliates. As a part of the current review, Riley tasked the working group with assessing the extent to which the department has implemented those previous reviews’ recommendations. Law enforcement experts Ronald L. Davis and Brenda J. Bond-Fortier will bring federal law enforcement experience to oversee the department’s review. Davis previously directed a branch of the United States Department of Justice that wrote policy regarding community-oriented policing. Former U.S. President Barack Obama chose Davis to direct a task force on innovative policing practices. Bond-Fortier, who is a professor of public service at Suffolk University, formerly conducted criminal justice research at the Harvard Kennedy School. She currently serves as a law enforcement adviser to the Justice Department.
wrote. In his statement, Nguyen added that the results of the testing will likely be reported to HUHS in the next few days, but there is no “guaranteed turnaround time.” Nguyen laid out a series of preventative measures to take in the email to Harvard affiliates, including being “vigilant” in taking hygiene measures and contacting HUHS if they have a fever or respiratory symptoms. Nguyen also pointed students toward Counseling and Mental Health Services, and faculty and staff toward the Employee Assistance Program, if the current situation on campus causes “stress and anxiety.” News of the two tests comes a day after University President Lawrence S. Bacow announced students must vacate campus by Sunday at 5 p.m. After spring break, classes will move to an online platform. Additionally, Massachusetts Governor Charlie D. Baker ’79 declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after the number of cases in the Bay State doubled overnight. There are 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts. More than 1,000 Massachusetts residents are currently being quarantined. Nguyen directed Harvard affiliates toward the University’s coronavirus website for further updates on the outbreak.
ema.schumer@thecrimson.com
fiona.brennan@thecrimson.com
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Ivy League Cancels Square Businesses Anticipate Financial Hit All Competitions mates, we poured so much of our time and energy into this. It was something I was really looking forward to, like, completely gutted I would say.” Tuntivate — who was scheduled to compete in the men’s 3000 meter race and the mile race — wrote in a text message that he felt “gutted.” Tuntivate also said in an interview that his absence from the championship meet could negatively impact his desire to run professionally. He explained that the tournament is an important barometer for talent. Tuntivate broke the Harvard all-time record in the men’s mile last month with a finish of 3:57.36, the second fastest time in Ivy League all-time records. “It’s hard to imagine it happening,” he said. The Ivy League’s decision left it up to individual schools to decide if their winter sport student-athletes could compete in postseason competitions. Harvard Athletics Director Robert L. Scalise wrote in
an email to coaches and department staff that Harvard’s athletes would not partake in these games. “We understand the disappointment that will be felt by many of you and many in our community, but we must be guided by what is best for the health and safety of all,” he wrote. Juul said she did not understand Harvard’s decision to not let her run. “I do understand to a certain extent why the University and the Ivy League as a whole chose to cancel spring sports, as heartbreaking as it is,” she said. “I don’t understand why they are not allowing us to compete one last time for the winter season.” Tuntivate said he had been emailing top administrators in the University and NCAA requesting they reinstate him. As of Wednesday evening, he said no one had replied. ema.schumer@thecrimson.com
a nnouncement. “We have a spectacular relationship with Harvard University, with the Harvard athletic programs, and with especially the Harvard student body. Having them leave in what would have been our two biggest months of the year, it’s a real blow.” Students know El Jefe’s for its late hours; the restaurant is open until 4 a.m. every day. Schall, who co-founded El Jefe’s four-and-a-half years ago, said he has no plans to change the eatery’s hours. “We’re open ’til 4 a.m., and we will always be open ’til 4 a.m.,” he said. Schall estimates that students make up 35 percent of his clientele. Felipe’s Taqueria — which has been a staple in Harvard Square for more than 16 years and serves as the chief competitor to El Jefe’s — also is not planning on making changes to its operations. “We’re confident of our business, and we’ll be fine,” Felipe’s co-owner Thomas J. Brush said. “We’re not at risk or any danger of long-term effect. But it will
certainly affect our sales for the next few months.” Harvard Square Business Association Executive Director Denise A. Jillson said her organization is “working on a response” to Harvard’s announcement. She said it would not be “unfounded or unprecedented” for property owners of local businesses to give their tenants relief of some sort. “So many of our property-owners are local,” Jillson said. “They’re right here in the Square, side-by-side with their tenants. And they have relationships.” “There’s a tremendously strong sense of community,” Jillson added. “I can think of 10 or 12 property owners who are in the Square every single day. They know exactly what’s going on. They know the foot-traffic patterns, they know the purchasing habits, they understand the Square down to the granular level. That’s really important as we all confront this crisis together.” Jillson also said the state of emergency declared by Massa-
chusetts Governor Charlie D. Baker ’79 will provide area businesses with some support. “That allows our smaller businesses to access programs that are available through the state and federal government that will help them through these next few months,” she said of the declaration. George Papalimberis, who has owned the La Flamme Barber Shop on Dunster Street for more than 40 years, said he is preparing for significant losses with students leaving town and the state of commencement and College reunions unknown. “We’re going to get hurt badly,” Papalimberis said. “We have a lot of students here and we have developed a good relationship with our students. We try to keep our prices low for the students.” Papalimberis — whose list of clients over the years has included former United States President Barack Obama, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), former Democratic presidential candidate Peter P. M. Buttigieg ’04, Facebook founder and former College student Mark E.
Zuckerberg, ex-Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis, and the musician Yo-Yo Ma ’76 — estimated that Harvard affiliates represent “at least 40 percent” of his shop’s clientele. Victor Escajadillo, an employee at Asa Hair Design in the Garage Mall who works three part-time jobs, said University students departing town creates “a legitimate fear” for local workers. “If the richest school in the United States — and possibly the most famous school in the world — is telling their students to not come back, that to me is scary because even they don’t have the means to contain or to try to take all the precautions to make it the most safe or sanitary,” Escajadillo said. Schall, the El Jefe’s co-owner, emphasized that all area businesses will experience the fallout of the University’s decision. “The University plays a huge role in the businesses around Harvard Square,” he said. “It’s going to affect everybody.” jasper.goodman@thecrimson.com
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Houses Scramble to Prep Students for Move-Out our community in the midst of this rapidly evolving situation.” This information comes one day after Harvard announced that students must vacate their dorms by Sunday, March 15th at 5 p.m., due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This decision has resulted in confusion and concern among students, faculty, and staff across the University. Khurana’s update follows an earlier email from Faculty of Arts and Sciences Registrar Michael P. Burke that informed students that the College will provide up to a $200 subsidy for students on financial aid in order to offset the cost of off-campus storage or shipping. The move-out deadline has forced House staff to quickly mobilize. Beginning Tuesday, the Houses began distributing thousands of boxes purchased by the University for departing students.
College staff and representatives from the Dean of Students Office congregated in dining halls across campus to help students finalize travel plans. According to Burke, the costs incurred from booking travel will be applied to students’ term bills. Burke also noted that students will receive financial assistance for their travel that reflects the overall amount of financial aid students receive. House faculty and resident deans have also stepped in to provide support to students as they transition off-campus. Mather House Faculty Deans Amala K. Mahadevan and Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan urged students in an email to remember the positive aspects of this year, including Mather’s top ranking for intramural rankings, and to keep in mind the graduating seniors who concurrently began their
time at Mather with the faculty deans. Lowell Faculty Dean David I. Laibson ’88 wrote in an email to The Crimson that he and Faculty Dean Nina Zipser are especially focused on seniors in Lowell. “Nina and I have spent lots of time listening to Lowellians,” he wrote. “They have shared their concerns, their fears and their hopes with us. We have been particularly focused on connecting with and celebrating our seniors, who are experiencing an especially deep sense of loss.” Dunster House will implement its own drop-off service for library books, according to an email to students from Dunster House Building Manager Lucia Baldock. This system will allow the House to collect and return students’ borrowed items to the College library system.
“We hope that this gives you one less thing to worry about as you prepare to leave campus,” Baldock wrote. Efforts to aid students span beyond the Houses as well. In an email to members, the Harvard Graduate Student Union and United Auto Workers announced they will volunteer their resources — cars, storage space, housing, physical labor — to assist students during move out. In an email to English concentrators, Professor Stephanie Burt ’93 — who also serves as the director undergraduate studies of the department — wrote that a number of departmental faculty are willing to store students’ belongings in their offices. “We know it’s an emergency, but it’s better than nothing,” Burt wrote. declan.knieriem@thecrimson.com sydnie.cobb@thecrimson.com
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