“Unlike the motion regarding study abroad, this was not explicitly detailed to the Faculty before,” Epps said. “As a result, we did not know it was going to be on the docket.”
Epps said he supports Park’s move to reexamine the sexual assault issue.
“The members of the Ad Board do not have sufficient legal or medical expertise, but that does not mean that disengagement is the only course of action,” Epps said. “The ‘he-said-she-said’ phrase that was bandied about may come back to being ‘he-said’...The burden of proof is once again placed on women.”
Harris said while he does not think the change is a perfect solution, he thinks it is “honest.”
“It’s become clear we can’t deal with cases with no corroborating evidence,” Harris said. “It’s silly to pretend we can.”
Harris said he is not opposed to more discussion on the sexual assault policy as long as the Faculty have educated themselves on the issue before the meeting.
“I hope that people who are coming have read the Ellison report, which I doubt they have, and if somebody has something to suggest to really make this a better procedure for students that would be great,” Harris said. “I’d hate to reinvent the wheel and end up with the same result, but [it is worth discussing] as long as people have something new to say.”
A committee chaired by Professor of Anthropology Peter T. Ellison began investigating how the Ad Board could better handle peer-to-peer cases last spring after the Ad Board had trouble in investigating a number of sexual assault allegations.
They submitted a report in January proposing that the Ad Board not investigate cases without corroborating evidence, although this report was not given to professors before last week’s vote.
Lecturer on Literature Heather K. Love ’91, who supports Park and Epps’ efforts, said she thinks it will be “problematic” if the Ad Board change is allowed to stand without further reform.
“I’m hoping the Faculty uses the opportunity at the next meeting to really take the time to talk about how sexual assault is handled at Harvard,” Love said.
Love, Epps and Park will meet today with other concerned professors to prepare for the discussion at next week’s Faculty meeting.
Love said they may walk over to the rally Coalition Against Sexual Violence (CASV) is staging in front of University Hall today at noon to increase awareness about the Ad Board change.
CASV sent an e-mail to students on Friday asking them to urge their professors to try to overturn the decision on Ad Board procedure.
Park said she is not sure whether she will try to overturn the decision at next week’s meeting.
Since no Faculty member asked for a motion overturning the decision to be considered at next week’s meeting prior to noon on Monday, a four-fifths would be required to reverse the prior vote.
—Staff writer Anne K. Kofol can be reached at kofol@fas.harvard.edu.