Jewett investigated the issue over them summer, but found no wrongdoing. The Liems rewrote the tutor hiring policy and returning students seemed to forget the controversy.

The Lis Fight Back

But a quiet year as not to be.

Six of the tutors who charged Li with ethical misconduct were greeted this fall with letters threatening a libel suit if further complaints were made public.

The letter from Richard A. Brown '86, the Li brothers' lawyer, threatened a libel suit is the tutors took "any further actions to propagate false and professionally damaging information."

Sophie A. Volpp '85, a resident tutor in East Asian Languages and civilizations, resigned to protest the letter, saying she left "shocked," "angry" and "threatened."

After waffling for weeks, physics tutor David C. Bear '92, an outspoken critic of the Li brothers and the Liems, filed a formal complaint of harassment with Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles.

Jewett, calling the letter "unwise and counterproductive," decided to step up his investigation of the conflict, speaking to 40 students and "a substantial number" of tutors.

Knowles and President Neil L. Rudenstine also voiced concern about the situation.

New Rules Questioned

As a result of the criticism of his tutor hiring polices, Liem had revised the hiring procedure over the summer.

The new system included a committee to review tutor applicants, new restrictions on tutor hiring and enumerated grounds for tutor dismissal.

Under the old rules, the assistant senior tutor hiring narrowed the pool of applicants for any open tutor spot to a short list of finalists. Students and house officials interviewed those finalists, and the co-masters made the final decisions.

According to the new rules, an advisory committee was assigned to review the candidates. The committee originally consisted of seven people; the co-masters, four members of the senior common room and Vincent Li.

Many tutors were upset that Li was named a member of the advisory committee. Liem later asked Li to step down from the committee.