This article has been modified from its original version. Correction appended.

Responding to a report in The Crimson last week, some of Harvard’s most influential professors are circulating a statement chastising University President Lawrence H. Summers for “backbiting” when he allegedly discussed his intention to fire Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby with professors and members of the Harvard Corporation in secret last winter.

A copy of the statement, which has been privately circulated among faculty members, was obtained by the Crimson yesterday evening. The e-mail’s accuracy was confirmed and the statement verified by one of the statement’s signatories, Music Department Chair Ingrid Monson, and another signatory who did not wish to be named because the statement was not yet ready to be released.

“We think it is highly improper if, as reported, the President of Harvard has been expressing to members of the faculty his ‘deep dissatisfaction’ with the Dean of Arts and Sciences,” the statement reads, referring to a Crimson article published last Thursday that first printed reports of a plan to fire Kirby. “It undercuts the work and the morale of colleagues within FAS [the Faculty of Arts and Sciences] and damages the institution as a whole.”

The full text of the statement is available at www.thecrimson.com.

Christie McDonald, the author of the e-mail obtained by The Crimson and chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, wrote that the statement would be submitted to the Harvard Corporation and brought before the Faculty Council before being discussed at the meeting of the full Faculty on Nov. 22. McDonald declined to comment on the e-mail last night.

The statement—which reflects continuing faculty dissatisfaction with Summers’ leadership—lists seven department or committee chairs, one House Master, and one of Harvard’s prestigious University Professors among its 17 signatories. 

The statement criticizes both Summers and the anonymous sources who provided The Crimson with information on the president’s alleged plans last fall.

“This kind of backbiting is more than unprofessional,” the statement reads. “We reject such tactics and the deplorable example they set for our students.”

While McDonald introduced the statement in the e-mail, and asked professors who wished to sign it to contact her before noon today, the actual author of the statement is not revealed.

Reflecting the fact that the statement has yet to be released, the signatories contacted by The Crimson last night declined to comment on the record about it.

“I can confirm the contents of the e-mail, but am not ready to comment publicly on the letter,” Monson wrote in an e-mail.

Three other professors who signed the statement also confirmed its existence, but did not wish to be named.

The 12 other signatories could not be reached last night. Summers’ spokesman did not return an e-mail and voice message seeking comment late last night.

With next Tuesday’s Faculty meeting looming, last week’s reports of Summers’ alleged plan to dismiss Kirby has caused tensions between professors and the president to resurface.

“We remain deeply concerned that the work of our departments and university cannot be sustained under such conditions, but we for our part renew our pledge to try to keep that work on track,” the statement reads.

—Staff writer Evan H. Jacobs can be reached at ehjacobs@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Anton S. Troianovski can be reached at atroian@fas.harvard.edu.

CORRECTION: The Nov. 15, 2005 news article "Profs E-mail Critical of Pres." incorrectly attributed remarks to Dumbarton Oaks Professor of the History of Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin American Art Thomas B. F. Cummins saying that he had not signed a statement critical of University President Lawrence H. Summers.
In fact, no Crimson reporter ever spoke with Professor Cummins regarding the article.

The Crimson regrets the error.

EDITORS' NOTE: The news article "Profs E-mail Critical of Pres." published yesterday included information attributed to a conversation between The Crimson and Dumbarton Oaks Professor of the History of Pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin American Art Thomas B. F. Cummins.

In fact, no such conversation between The Crimson and Professor Cummins occurred. When attempting to contact Professor Cummins yesterday, a Crimson reporter used a public, online telephone directory to locate a home phone number. The reporter found and called a phone number for Tom Cummins in the Boston area. In speaking to a woman who answered the phone initially and a man who answered the phone in later calls, the Crimson reporter conducted an interview, repeatedly referring to the male party as Professor Cummins. The reporter concluded that this person was Professor Cummins, but in fact he was a different Tom Cummins.

The Crimson deeply regrets this error and its effects, and plans to review its reporting policies to prevent  similar errors from occurring in the future and maintain its strong commitment to accurate journalism.