Berry also said yesterday that he had reprimanded the manager of the central College kitchen for not allowing women to work in the kitchen over spring break.

The manager, David Lentine, had cited the danger to his female employees of "noxious fumes" from the chemicals used to clean the kitchen over the vacation. Lentine's decision to employ only male workers over the holiday was later reversed.

"This is not a sexist thing," Berry said. "It was a mistake."

Lentine did not return repeated phone calls yesterday.

Berry denied charges leveled by workers at Wednesday's meeting that the Lentine incident was symptomatic of a larger sexual harassment problem at the College's dining halls. One worker described several incidents of alleged harassment, including cases in which female employees were allegedly "grabbed" and "pinched" by male co-workers and supervisors.

"I've heard none of those [allegations]," Berry said. "Every single one of those is totally unacceptable [if it happened]."

Students and workers at the meeting said Harvard's alleged harassment of Hicks is part of a University-wide anti-labor policy. "If anyone denies there's discrimination or anti-Unionism in the kitchens, it's a mockery of the truth," Childs said.

Berry denied that Hicks' fellow employees supported him. Berry said 65 of 72 Union workers voted to have Hicks recalled as shop steward one and a half years ago. He said Hicks, in his capacity as shop steward, did not file a grievance on behalf of any of his coworkers in the last 18 months.

Hicks disputed both claims, citing two workers on whose behalf he said he had filed recent grievances. Childs said managers had sought to have Hicks removed as shop steward by encouraging workers to sign a petition against him.

Berry said yesterday that he did not remember the two grievances Hicks said he filed. One of the workers involved would not comment on the alleged grievance and the other could not be reached for comment. Berry also denied the recall attempt had been organized by managers.

The HDS director also said Hicks had issued a death threat against a fellow employee. According to Hicks, the incident, for which he was suspended three days, resulted from a longstanding dispute with the other worker over a promotion.

"I never threatened his life or anybody else's life there," Hicks said. "If management really thought I threatened this guy's life, why would they leave me in the same dining hall with him to carry out the threat?"

Hicks was not transferred despite repeated requests. Berry said Hicks had also harassed other employees.

"Recently, one employee complained to us that she had to have her phone disconnected because Darryl bothered her so often," Berry said.

Hicks denied the charge. "That's never happened. You don't see anything in my record mentioning that.