Calling it inaccurate and incomplete, former and current security guards who have charged their supervisors with discrimination reacted with outrage to a report on their claims released Friday by Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall.

Seven guards interviewed over the weekend said they would not back down from their charges despite the report. Many used words like "demeaning" and "offensive" to describe the attitude taken by the report towards their concerns.

Their strong statements differed in tone and substance from what a slight majority of two dozen guards said in interviews at their posts Sunday night and yesterday morning. Most of these guards said they were less concerned with the report's finding and more focused on the 14 recommendations included in the report.

But the guards who have made public charges said they found the report's findings disturbingly ill-informed. Forcefully and in detail, seven denied the allegations.

In the report, the 13 guards whose employment histories are discussed were identified by letter, not by name. But many were readily identifiable. David Butler, Jacquelynn Leonard, Juan Figueroa and Andrew J. Parker could not be reached for comment. But seven guards whose cases were discussed in the report were reached, and they vigorously disputed the report's findings.

Steven Thompson

Current guard Steven Thompson, who is Black, had complained that he received a three day suspension and final warning for sleeping while a white guard got only a written warning for the same offense. Management of the unit had argued that Thompson deserved a more severe punishment because he had intended to sleep on the job.

The investigation found that it was likely that the white guard had also intended to sleep on the job. But the report ruled that Thompson's complaint of discrimination was unfounded because security officials had not had that information when they disciplined the white guard. The report also labelled Thompson's case "significant."

But in an interview this weekend, Thompson insisted this he never received a letter requesting an interview to discuss this "significant" case. Marshall has said that all guards were sent a letter. Thompson, who said his father, also a guard, received a letter, said when he asked about security officials about the matter, they told him he would receive one in due time.

"I don't know why Harvard doesn't want to talk to me," said Thompson. "Every investigation they've had no one ever talked to me."

Thompson also alleged that the report was riddled with inaccuracies about his case.

While the report indicated he was off his "area of duty," Thompson said--and documents obtained by The Crimson confirm--that he was sleeping in a common room in Quincy House, his assigned post. He also disputed the report's assertion that he was out of uniform.

Thompson also said that the report's contention that he intended to sleep was disingenuous. Thompson, who claims he was taking cold medicine that made him drowsy on the night in question, stopped to sit in a chair during his rounds and nodded off. He said he did not lie down in any of the couches in the room where he could have slept more comfortably if it was his intention.

"They assume the white guard didn't mean to sleep," said Thompson. "They assume the Black guard meant to sleep."

Russian Guard

In the case of a Russian guard, who has asked that his name not be used, the report concluded that the guard's history of disciplinary problems made his complaint of discrimination on the basis of his ethnicity and national origin not credible. The guard had accused security supervisor Thomas F. Henaghan of harassing him by making fun of his English and his background and by disciplining him unfairly.