The Tufts Republicans had their dirty laundry aired during a University College documentary film screening last night, with their former public relations chair making what Republicans call libelous statements.
Outgoing Tufts Republicans President Nick Boyd said last night that the group is contacting the University College to "insist that they not show the movie any further."
Outgoing Republicans PR Chair Kristen Casazza makes allegations in the film concerning the group's regulatory
procedure, and how she was treated after she openly criticized the group's decision to invite controversial speakers to campus.
A full list of the Republicans' complaints concerning the documentary's allegedly libelous content was not complete in time for press.
Luke Yu, a member of the group who made the documentary, said that he was told by Casazza of the factual error about 10 minutes before the film went on last night. "The basic consensus was that we would make a clear statement afterwards, because we weren't not going to show it," Yu said.
The group apologized for the error immediately after the film was shown.
The Republicans may take disciplinary action, according to Boyd, if the University College's response is not appropriate. "They made no effort to contact me to ensure the validity of the facts in the film," Boyd said of the filmmakers.
Yu said that the University College had planned on placing the film on its Web site.
Lecturer Roberta Oster Sachs, who teaches the documentary course titled "Films for Social Change," did not return a call for comment late last night.
Casazza said that although the statements in the documentary, titled "Political Passions: Taking on the 2004 Elections," are not correct in how they specify how the Tufts Republicans affected her position on the group's board, the criticism of Boyd's leadership of the Republicans is still valid.
Casazza's criticism stems from the group's sponsoring of a controversial panel on homosexuality last month, which was condemned in a Health Services-purchased full-page advertisement in The Tufts Daily.
Leigh Simons, another member of the group which made the documentary, said that the overall view of her documentry was valid. "I don't see what issues [Boyd's] taking with it, because it really is just Kristen reacting to it," Simons said. "She's not on the [Republicans'] board anymore, and she's hurt by it. That's a fact.
"The whole point of our film was to get into the characters," Simons said.
Boyd, Republicans member and Primary Source Editor-in-chief Brandon Balkind and Republicans Social Chair Nicole Brusco steamrolled the group into agreeing to sponsor the panel, according to Casazza.
"Up until the event, Nick was reassuring me that it would be about gay marriage, about the constitution," Casazza said. "It had nothing to do with gay marriage."
Outgoing Republicans Vice President Ford Adams echoed the more general of Casazza's criticisms concerning the direction of their group. "The problems I have with the Republicans aren't about political issues, they are about the manner in which the group has decided to operate," Adams said.
The showing of the documentary seems to have opened a door into a Republican organizational spat, albeit a small one. Casazza and Adams were unable to give another Republican member who would speak on the record that the group was moving in the wrong direction.
Both Boyd and Balkind were reluctant to speak on the issue of the organization's dispute last night, both arguing it was an internal dispute.
Casazza relationship within the Republicans seemed to be irreparably damaged when a Balkind-signed e-mail called her a "traitor" and accused her of "betraying" the group.
When asked to confirm the e-mail, which was given to the Daily by Casazza and Adams separately, Balkind's reply did not mention the subject.
Incoming Tufts Republicans President Doug Kingman said that the group had a healthy level of debate. "As a member of the Tufts Repbublicans since the begining of the semester, I have seen all discourse within the club treated with candid discussion and respect for not only individuals but ideas," Kingman said.
The other members of the group who made the documentry included senior Danielle Davis, sophomore Laura Gamse, and Wentworth Bowen, a lecturer in the English department.
The class' five documentaries were shown in the Cabot Auditorium in an event sponsored by the University College, the Communications and Media Studies program and the Ex College.
