An unauthorized, inflammatory note alleging to be from members of the Tufts Latino Men's Group heightened tensions between members of La Casa and neighbors shortly before the winter recess.
The note warned the surrounding neighbors of a "loud" party at La Casa to be hosted by the Latino Men's Group after the Naked Quad Run, according to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman. La Casa, the Latino Culture House, is located on Whitfield Road.
The note said that the party would run until 2 or 3 a.m. and requested that the neighbors "close their window" and not call the police "under any circumstances" but instead contact La Casa directly.
The note also implied discrimination on the part of the Somerville Police Department (SPD) on the basis of race.
The note included the name and contact information of Rafael Luciano, house manager of La Casa thus appearing to carry his endorsement.
Reitman first received complaints from neighbors and their family members the following day about the letter, which "was worded in a way that was a cause for concern among the neighbors more than it was reassuring."
"The letter raised more issues than it solved, Reitman said. "It's not something where the neighbors said, 'Oh what nice students.'"
Neither the leadership of La Casa, nor the Latino Men's Group, however, had heard of the note and did not agree with or endorse its contents. "It was written by an individual that was part of the group but doesn't live at the house without showing it to anyone in the house or the group beforehand," Luciano said.
"I saw the letter for the first time at [the Office of Residential Life and Learning], I told administration that I didn't know anything about it and it didn't involve anyone at the house," he said.
According to Luciano, house residents "could not believe someone would write it and distribute it." when residents were informed about it at a meeting shortly after they were "upset."
"The house was unhappy because it affected their relations with their neighbors, which had been fine all year," Reitman said.
The issue was resolved shortly after both the Latino Men's group and members of La Casa wrote apologies to the neighbors regarding the incident and assured them that the groups did not agree with the views expressed in the letter.
"It was resolved pretty easily," Reitman said. "It wasn't a disciplinary thing."
The issue of racism as a factor in police enforcement of Tufts parties emerged during a dispute last February when Tufts and Somerville Police broke up a registered Feb. 13 La Casa party in a manner that many residents deemed more forceful than necessary.
Some residents argued that race had contributed to the harsh enforcement.
The La Casa party, however, coincided with the enactment of a new policy on open-container violations and joint efforts between the SPD and the Tufts University Police Department to crack down on noisy parties.
According to SPD Officer Cabral, however, the La Casa incident represented a trend of tough enforcement across the board. "It's not about racism, it's about respect," Cabral told the Tufts Observer after the incident.
