Harvard never even conducted an in-house investigation of what a Cambridge rent control hearing examiner in 1982 called these "terror tactics of eviction." Not one formal admission of negligence from any official at Harvard Real Estate (HRE), Inc., the University's semi-autonomous property management firm, came out of the Trowbridge or Craigie affairs.

Ask HRE President Sally H. Zeckhauser, who recently explained what happened at the Craigie Arms with surprising candor. After the University finally sold the controversial apartment building to a developer for a mere $550,000 in September, Zeckhauser suggested that Harvard neglected its responsibility as a landlord because the University did not know what to do with the pivotal site occupied by the Craigie Arms, located right next to the Charles Square complex and other luxury development in the area.

Apparently, HRE failed to maintain the flats that Trowbridge and her neighbors occupied out of concern that aging, low-to middle-income apartments might devalue University Place, a $25 million Harvard development, and scare away potential customers.

FOR CAROL TROWBRIDGE, who has since married and changed her name, the Craigie experience must still hang over her like a silent specter. There may not be any more court proceedings or painful testimony. But the psychological impact of bearing this memory and not being able to speak about her sexual assault to anyone must be devastating.

For the University community, however, Harvard's policy of settling civil negligence lawsuits out of court must be examined. Ultimately Harvard damages itself by behaving this way. Harvard is trapped in a holding action, waiting for another tenant to sue, instead of ensuring that the University's tenants get the same protection and services that its students take as a matter of course.

As one observer noted three years ago, Harvard's real estate policy "resembles that of any successful conglomerate. Grab the bucks while you can, and don't lose sleep over anything--or anyone--that gets in the way."

As long as Harvard believes it cheaper to pay people off--and gag them--instead of behaving as a responsible landlord, Harvard's tenants will run the risk of becoming, indirectly at least, Harvard's victims.