Muhammad wrote in an e-mail yesterday that he has been flooded with messages of support from students, tutors and faculty members since The Crimson published the announcement of his planned resignation on Tuesday.

"The BGLTSA as an organization has been behind me 100 percent from the very beginning of these events. I know many of the students personally and their support has been wonderful," Muhammad wrote. "I think we all recognize the seriousness of the issues at stake here and will hopefully take positive, pro-active steps to prevent this type of behavior in the future."

BGLTSA co-chair Michael A. Hill '02 said his group wants the administration to send a letter directly to every student condemning the incidents as anti-gay.

Group members also said Lewis unfairly questioned Muhammad's commitment to his job.

"He has been a good tutor and we will miss him," Lewis wrote Monday. "I certainly understand that he leaves with regret, and has to balance his own personal comfort and academic mission with his service to the Harvard community."

Matthew S. Trent '00, a BGLTSA executive, said, "Dean Lewis made the erroneous connection between commitment to community and commitment to personal safety."

"[There is] no question on his commitment to the community," he said.