able If Bail
Ninety-eight years of editorialfreedom
Vol. XCVIII, No. 134 Ann Arbor, Michigan --Monday, April 18, 1988 Copyright 1988, The Michigan Daily
Protesters
clash
with regents again
CI *l
ri hts
board
hears 'U
testimony
By JIM PONIEWOZIK
Several students criticized Uni-
versity efforts to fight discrimination
on campus, while administrators de-
fended the programs as among the
strongest in the country at a Michi-
gan Civil Rights Commission in-
quiry into prejudice on college cam-
puses Friday.
The University's recently adopted
policy on discriminatory acts came
under fire from students at the in-
quiry, who criticized the policy for
not including faculty and
administration within its jurisdic-
tion.
"This code is inherently discrimi-
natory because it discriminates
against young people because of
their age," said MSA representative
Henry Hardy. He said the policy
should include more student input.
LSA SENIOR Lannis Hall of
the United Coalition Against
Racism criticized the anti-
discrimination policies currently in
existence - particularly the Affir-
mative Action Office's "Tell Some-
one" program -as being ineffective.
The program encourages University
students and staff to report harass-
ment to the office.
"No one has any faith in (the Tell
Someone) program," Hall said.
But Interim University President
Robben Fleming defended the Uni-
versity's efforts in his opening re-
marks to the panel.
"We don't claim to have solved
all our civil rights problems, but we
don't plan to sit idly by and let go
unnoticed what we consider one of
the most comprehensive programs in
the nation," said Fleming, who pre-
sented the board with a report detail-
ing the University's minority pro-
grams.
THE INQUIRY was the first
of a series of five to be held on
campuses across Michigan to gather
information that the state Civil
Rights Commission will use to rec-
ommend measures state colleges and
universities can take to combat dis-
crimination. Over 20 students and
staff members addressed the inquiry.
Beverly Clark, vice-chair of the
commission, said she could not
speculate as to what recommenda-
tions the commission might make,
"but said a mandatory class on racism
and other forms of prejudice, sug-
gested by several students at the in-
quiry, was a possibility.
"We intend to become better in-
formed about the dimensions of the
problem and the effectiveness of any
efforts being made to combat it,"
said Benny Napoleon, chair of the
commission, in a statement read be-
fore the inquiry.
THE SPEAKERS at the in-
quiry also reported specific incidents
of harassment to the commission
and addressed topics ranging from
harassment of gays and lesbians to.
the inaccessibility of some Univer-
sity buildings to the handicapped.
See Prejudice, Page 5
- IX-
*BINSIDE
Dolly Photo by ALEXANDRA BREZ
Protesters and journalists follow Interim University President Robben Fleming to his home after Friday's Board of Regents' meeting.
The demonstrators expressed their opposition to an anti-discrimination policy drafted by Fleming.
Code approval prompts protest
Regents
criticize
MSA's
actions
By STEVE KNOPPER
Members of the University's
Board of Regents criticized the
Michigan Student Assembly Friday
for actions they called "ir-
responsible," and one regent said he
may vote against continuing to fund
MSA at next month's meeting.
When MSA makes its annual
fund request at next month's meet-
ing, Regent Neil Nielsen (R-
Brighton) said he would be
"inclined" to vote against continued
funds.
"If they don't represent students,
they can go out and generate dona-
tions, as opposed to taxing stu-
dents," Nielsen said. "Maybe that
will make them more responsible."
Several regents blasted recent
MSA plans to place ads in high
school newspapers criticizing the
University's "sexist, racist, and anti-
lesbian/gay hypocrisy," and the as-
sembly's resolution calling Regent
Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor)
"homophobic, racist, and paternalis-
tic."
Though Regent Veronica Smith
(R-Grosse Ile), who has supported
MSA's stand against the Univer-
sity's discrimination policy, was
absent from the meeting, regents
were unanimous in their criticism of
MSA.
"Maligning the character intent of
this Board is irresponsible," Regent
Thomas Roach (D-Saline) said. "I
would like MSA to know that they
better put together a pretty well-pre-
pared case (for funding next
month)... All requests are not neces-
sarily granted."
Several regents said the high
school newspaper ads would deter
minority students from coming to
the University, which would contra-
dict MSA's demands for higher mi-
nority enrollment. Regent Nellie
Varner (D-Detroit) said, "I certainly
would not support providing funds
that would be counterproductive in
terms of our affirmative action ef-
forts."
During the next month, MSA
leaders said they will attempt to ex-
plain their motives to the regents.
"We'll justify what MSA does and
hope for the best. I don't think we
should take back what we've done or
See MSA, Page 2
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
About 20 noisy protesters demanding the re-
peal of the University's policy on discriminatory
acts disrupted the University's Board of Regents'
meeting Friday, prompting the regents to close
their meeting to the public for the second time in
two days.
During the meeting, held in the president's
private conference room, the regents unani-
mously passed two wording changes in the pol-
icy - switching the word "malicious" to
"intentional" and "educational sanctions" to
"class attendance sanctions."
THE POLICY will set up a hearing panel
of four students and a faculty member to judge
student harassment complaints and apply sanc-
tions.
Regent Veronica Smith (R-Grosse Ile), who
voted against the policy last month because it
was "vague" and contained little student input,
did not attend the meeting.
Though the regents set a 30-day deadline for
suggestions on the proposal last month, no stu-.
dent groups made comments during that time.
The Black Law Student Alliance and the United
Coalition Against Racism had voiced support for
a policy of this type and submitted criticisms
before the 30-day period.
Michigan Student Assembly President Mike
Phillips said he would not submit comments be-
cause he said the policy wasn't legitimate.
ANGRY STUDENTS, who said the board
failed to incorporate student input into the pol-
icy, were prohibited by campus safety officers
from following the regents into the private room.
As the regents met behind closed doors on the
second floor of the Fleming Administration
Building, the protesters waited outside in order to
confront the regents when they exited the build-
ing.
The regents, who approved Interim University
President Robben Fleming's proposal at their
March meeting by a 5-2 vote, were greeted with
chants of "Hey hey, ho ho, Fleming's Code has
got to go" as they left the building.
Regent Philip Power (D-Ann Arbor) said of
the protesters, "Ceaseless repetition of a chant is
not a particularly enhancing way to make a
comment about eliminating racial harassment on
this campus."
MSA organized the protest, which began at
noon on Thursday with a rally on the Diag.
About 40 students participated over the course of
two days, and a handful of students spent Thurs-
day night in the Fleming building, saying they
would stay
until students' concerns were met.
See Protest, Page 2
Last-
minute
tax filers
flock to
post office
By ANNA BORGMAN
The sign above the mail slots at
the U.S. Post Office on West Sta-
dium Friday night read: "All mail
deposited here before 12:00 p.m.
will be postmarked April 15, 1988."
The once-a-year sign drew sighs
of relief from people of all shapes,
sizes, and colors. Many last-minute
tax filers said they had not been sure
if the post office would be open.
"There's two things you have to
do - pay your taxes and die," said
Ann Arbor resident Sandra Boettcher.
Boettcher and her daughter
Annherst showed up to send in their
tax forms, then stayed to watch the
bustling crowd until midnight. This
is the third year the two have spent
the evening of April 15th at the post
office.
"We come here just to watch. It's
an absolute scream," said Annherst,
"It's better than anything oh -Friday
night T.V."
Jim Harper, acting supervisor at
the West Stadium post office, said
about 25,500 pieces of mail were
sent out between 6:30 p.m. and
midnight. Probably one-half to
three-fourths were tax returns, he
said.
Harper said April 15th is a tradi-
tionally heavy mail day, although
not as hectic as Christmas. He added
that this year's April 15th onslaught
of mail was light compared to years
past, and the night was not marked
by the anti-government protests it
sometimes is.
But the 12:00 deadline for filing
federal and state tax forms still as-
sembled a diverse crowd. They
See Tax returns, Page 2
Sources say Israel L"| ]
authorioze4
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli
sources said yesterday that Israeli
agents assassinated Palestine Libera-
tion Organization official Khalil al-
Wazir, the number two person in the
organization who headed the uprising
in the occupied territories.
Palestinians angered by the
killing boycotted their jobs and
staged protest marches yesterday, and
Israel imposed curfews on cities and
camps in the occupied lands.
The Israeli sources, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the
operation was carried out jointly by
the Mossad intelligence service, the
Israeli navy, and an elite commando
unit.
They said it had been postponed
several times before Saturday.
Al-Wazir, who was in charge of
the PLO's military operations
against Israel, was shot to death
Saturday in his home in Tunisia by
an eight-member squad.
PLO officials blamed Israel, say-
4 killing
sination would not affect peace ef-
forts.
NBC television said Shamir,
Peres, and Defense Minister Yitzhak
Rabin approved the assassination af-
ter Fatah guerrillas hijacked a bus
and killed three Israelis in southern
Israel's Negev desert last month.
Former intelligence officials and
Israeli newspapers openly compared
the assassination to Israel's April
1973 raid on PLO offices in Beirut
in which three top PLO officials
were killed.
They also noted Israel, not rival
PLO factions or Arab regimes, had
the ability to mount such a
sophisticated operation 1,500 miles
from its shores.
Yesterday, eight Arabs were
wounded in scattered clashes with
Israeli soldiers in the occupied terri-
tories, hospital officials said.
Leaders of the PLO blamed Israel
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