Epps says he is unaware of any possiblelawsuit. Church officials also say they areunaware of any planned legal action.

This past summer, Epps met with Churchofficials, at his request, to discuss the autonomyof Hrnicek's group.

"It's not for me to say what [Epps'] motiveswere," says Doug A. Webber, media spokesperson forthe Boston Church of Christ.

Webber says many issues were still "left up inthe air" after the meeting. But he says the Churchofficials "made [Epps] well aware that it was astudent run and initiated organization."

Widespread Harassment

The Boston Church of Christ is banned from manycollege campuses around the nation. Collegeadministrators claim that the sanctions againstthe Church stem from issues of harassment and notreligious belief.

In 1993 a student organization linked to theBoston Church of Christ was suspended from theUniversity of New Hampshire for harassingstudents.

The group was suspended for behavioral, notreligious reasons, M. Anne Lawing, Director ofStudent Life at the University of New Hampshiresays. "We deal with student organizations overbehavioral issues that violate our code ofconduct," she says.

The Boston Church of Christ is banned fromBoston University because of problems withharassment and not belief, Thornburg says.

"You must make a distinction between beliefsand behaviors," Thornburg says. "Beliefs areregularly and always [protected] by the freedom ofspeech. We've never objected to anything theybelieve."

But beyond the issues of conduct and belief,Epps emphasizes that Harvard's main dispute withHrnicek's group involves its connection to andautonomy from the Boston Church of Christ.

"It's not a question of speech or belief, thequestion here is whether organizationally [Mike'sgroup] is separate," Epps says.

A Troubled History

The Boston Church of Christ has a reputationfor harassment and deceitfulness in recruiting,various college administrators say. Past problemswith Church members may explain Harvard'shesitation in granting recognition to Hrnicek'sgroup.

DeGreeff said the Church drained studentmembers financially and ruined their academiccareers.