Some tutors interviewed also alleged that Vincent Li forced the resignation of an earth and planetary science tutor to make room for Fiona Murray. Former resident tutor Dennis McGillicuddy, who had been planning to get married, left when Vincent Li moved into the only available suite for married tutors.

Tutors said McGillicuddy's departure opened a resident position for Fiona Murray, who they say is romantically involved with Vincent Li.

Murray said she was hired on her own merit and Vincent's relationship with the master "had nothing to do with [her]." Murray refused to specify whether she was romantically involved with Li.

Students and tutors interviewed said they were also angered by the hiring of Owen Young as a resident tutor in music. Young was ranked last among the three candidates interviewed by students, one interviewer said.

The students and tutors alleged that Young was hired because he has been a close friend of Vincent Li's since junior high school.

But Liem said the students' first choice could not be hired because of "confidential information" unknown to students and the second choice tutor had already been hired by the Winthrop House masters.

Young said he and Vincent Li were childhood friends and that Li had encouraged him to apply for the position. Li did not "influence or have any kind of control over the process," he said.

Liem, who has the final say in all hiring decisions on resident tutors, said he had a "very good relationship" with Vincent Li.

"I trust him immensely," Liem said, but the master emphatically denied that Li had any influence in the hirings of William Li, Murray and Young.

Tutors voiced their concerns about the hiring process privately earlier in the year. Lin wrote a letter to the Liems dated February 28 in which he called for the selection process to "receive much more input from Dunster Students, since they are the ones most affected by these appointments."

Tutors said they met with Jewett to discuss tutor hiring practices on March 11, soon after William Li was hired.

According to seven tutors at that meeting, Jewett said he would speak to Liem about the issue. At a second meeting on April 9, Jewett told four tutors and one student that he would not be able to do anything official unless a formal complaint was filed, tutors said.

Tutors said they did not file the complaint for fear of repercussions from the masters.

Liem said last week that he never spoke with Jewett about tutor hiring and said he "knew nothing" about the meetings.

Jewett confirmed that he met with tutors twice, but refused to say whether he had spoken to Liem about tutor hiring.

"Many tutors considered resigning as a group before and after Will was hired," Lin said. "He [Liem] said he wanted the tutors to be one harmonious family working together and I felt I wasn't part of that family anymore," he said.

The other tutors did not resign because of "financial realities," Lin said.

Joe Mathews contributed to the reporting of this story.