Students upset by a classmate's complaint of discrimination against Nini's Corner have launched a boycott of the Harvard Square newsstand.

Accompanied by Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III, Richard A. Cole '95, who is Mexican-American, filed a preliminary complaint against the newsstand with the Cambridge Human Rights Commission Wednesday.

At least one more Hispanic student has lodged a complaint against Nini's Corner since a story about Cole appeared in yesterday's Crimson, according to Margot P. Kosberg, executive director of the Cambridge Human Rights Commission.

Cole, who declined to comment on the matter Wednesday, described in an interview yesterday what happened to him Tuesday when he went to the newsstand to look at magazines.

The student said he had been quietly reading a magazine for five minutes when the newsstand's owner, Philip Nini, rudely told him to leave.

Cole, bewildered, said he asked Nini, "Who me?"

Then, "[Nini] sarcastically said, 'What's the matter, no comprende English?" according to Cole.

But in an interview Wednesday, Nini gave a different account of events.

"He was reading a Billboard magazine for a half hour," Nini said. "I went over and in a nice voice, told him to leave because we only allow a minimum browsing time."

Asking for a Name

Shaken up, Cole said he left the newsstand and sought out a police officer.

The officer told him that the only thing he could do was go back to the store, ask for the employee and his supervisor's names and write a letter of complaint.

Cole said he then re-entered the store and asked for Nini's name.

"He said, 'Hey, get the fuck out of

my store, Comprende?'" according to the student.

Upset at Nini's condescending tone, Cole shot back.