On Wednesday, the Committee on Student Life decided TCF's complaint had merit. Exercising a right that has not been used in more than four years, the committee reversed TCF's de-recognition.

Omitting comment on the merit of either party's case, the document focused on the procedural question of whether TCUJ did in fact deny a hearing to TCF.

At TCUJ's April 13 meeting, after the initial vote to de-recognize TCF failed to garner a majority vote from the six members present, another vote was held to recall the initial vote because of "hastiness," according to the meeting's minutes.

A single TCUJ member switched his position in the revote, allowing TCF to be officially de-recognized and stripped of all its privileges.

The TCUJ believed its unusual procedure--acting without hearing the arguments of the parties involved--was warranted "based on the need to prevent further expenditures of [Tufts Community Union] resources and on our perceived need to bring closure to this controversy for the community," according to an April 18 letter.

But TCF members questioned whether TCUJ's decision complied with university policy.

According to the Tufts student handbook, the only situation in which TCUJ is allowed to impose penalties or other disciplinary procedures without conducting a hearing is "on a temporary basis, pending the outcome of a hearing or appeal, when the nature of the situation indicates that there is an immediate danger to the well-being of an individual or the campus community or when warranted by other special circumstances."