The case of a College senior who accused a Harvard Square newsstand owner of racial harassment last week has focused attention on the often tense relationships between minority students and Square merchants.

Last Tuesday, after a hearing before a city civil rights committee on the alleged harassment, Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III deemed the situation serious enough to request a meeting with the Harvard Square Business Association about the increasing diversity of the student body.

"I have asked to talk to the Harvard Square Business Association about the changed profile of Harvard students today because merchants don't realize how diverse the student body has become," Epps said yesterday.

"I hope to engage them in a discussion of race in the commercial setting," Epps added.

Richard A. Cole '95, a Dudley House affiliated who is Mexican-American, accompanied by Epps, filed a racial harassment complaint with the Cambridge Human Rights Commission against Nini's Corner last Wednesday.

At least one more Hispanic student has come forward with a complaint against Nini's Corner since the Cole story came out, according to Margot P. Kosberg, executive director of the Cambridge Human Rights Commission.

The complaint began a war of words in which both sides presented their versions of the incident to The Crimson. But this week, the situation took a sharp turn, with the store owner, Philip Nini, apologizing publicly to Cole.

Initial Defense

Initially, Nini vehemently defended his actions during the Cole incident.

The store owner claimed that Cole had violated the store's policy against excessive browsing, prompting Nini to ask the student to leave.

"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."

During an interview, Nini blew off Cole's complaint, calling the student a "screwball" and "troublemaker."

After first declining comment, Cole agreed to come forward with his version of the Oct. 26 incident. Nini would eventually concede that the student's version was more accurate than his own.

Contrary to what Nini had claimed, Cole said he had been reading a magazine for five minutes when Nini rudely asked him to leave.

Cole said Nini upset him by repeatedly using Spanish phrases sarcastically when evicting him from the store.