The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate voted down a resolution condemning last week's Committee on Student Life (CSL) decision Monday night, denying senior Iris Halpern's sexual harassment charge against The Primary Source.
After discussing the issue for over an hour at an open forum preceding Monday's Senate meeting, sophomore Senator Pritesh Gandhi submitted the resolution. It was co-signed by Halpern, junior Louis Esparaza, former trustee representative Adam Carlis, and former Tufts Transgendered Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC) culture representative Kat Cheung.
Aside from censuring both the CSL and the Source, the resolution called for administrators to formulate a response to the CSL ruling, which Halpern and the co-signatories said failed to address the sexual harassment issue.
It asked the Senate to work with the administration to reform Tufts' sexual harassment policy, particularly in relation to student-run publications, and recommended that all members and groups of the TCU be bound by the University's sexual harassment policy.
The resolution lost by a vote of 17-7-2, disappointing its sponsors.
"I was very disappointed by the leadership shown by the executive board that night," Ghandi said. Each member of the Senate executive board voted against the resolution.
The resolution was then tabled since the CSL had found The Primary Source not guilty of sexual harassment in a unanimous vote. Halpern, a vocal member of the Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM), had filed a complaint against the Source after an issue last month referred to "well-endowed female SLAM members."
"We just wanted them to think about sexual harassment, take a stance on sexual harassment, which they didn't do," Halpern said of the CSL decision. "They didn't even mention the topic of sexual harassment."
At least one senator feels the Senate should further address the issue. After Monday's meeting, Ghandi sent an e-mail to the Senate to ask for help in working with the administration to develop a broadened sexual harassment policy.
"When issues like this happen, people lose faith," he said. "I have faith that student government will do something on this issue."
A group of Halpern's supporters spoke during the open forum in an attempt to spark debate on sexual harassment issues. But one senator said that she had "really wanted to avoid this debate," and others were concerned that the resolution was too harsh.
President Eric Greenberg, who was among the resolution's critics, said he found the resolution too accusatory, and disliked the wording condemning other campus groups, such as the CSL.
But Ghandi said the resolution had to maintain its original wording. "Hiding behind a door because you can't tackle the issue of sexual harassment" isn't the answer, Ghandi said. "We're student reps. We have obligations to the students who voted for us."
Ghandi also said he would be disappointed with a modified resolution. "I would not be in favor of a watered-down resolution," he said. "What is the point of a resolution that has no teeth?"
Source editor-in-chief Senior Sam Dangremond, a CSL member, said the resolution was not within the Senate's jurisdiction. "The Senate should not tarnish its good reputation by grandstanding," Dangremond said, arguing that the Senate does not have the power to alter the CSL decision.
One senator argued that the issue fell under to the TCU Judiciary and the CSL. "They're there to represent students in judicial decisions," he said during the debate. But Halpern thought differently, and attempted to influence senators into taking a stand. "You have the power to stand up for the people now and in the future," she said during the forum.
