Gabriel R. Bitran and MIT were found innocent as co-defendants in a civil suit brought by Marina R. Erulkar, who graduated from the school last year.
The lawsuit focused on incidents between December 1989 and May 1990, in which Bitran allegedly kissed Erulkar and inquired into her personal life. Erulkar worked for Bitran as a temporary secretary from 1988 until July 1989, when she became an administrative assistant in his office.
The 13-member jury decided that Erulkar was unable to provide a "fair preponderance of the evidence" to support her claims that her work environment violated Chapter 151b of state statutes prohibiting sexual harassment that is "so severe and pervasive that it creates a humiliating, hostile, or sexually offensive atmosphere in the workplace."
Appeal at Princeton
A man convicted of impersonating a Princeton student for nearly two years last week appealed a guilty verdict handed down in October.
James A. Hogue, 32, assumed the identity of Princeton student Alexi Indris-Santana, until his arrest in 1991.
The sentence that Hogue is appealing would require him to serve nine months in jail and five years on probation, as well as to perform 100 days of community service and to repay the financial aid he received from Princeton.
Penn Pals
In the wake of criticism from graduate students and student activist groups, the University of Pennsylvania last week changed its residency policy to allow unmarried couples to live in its residence halls.
Those in favor of the new policy said that restricting cohabitation to graduate students, their spouses and their children discriminated against both same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples.
Yale Locks?
An effort by Yale College administrators to prevent the proliferation of "master Keys" on campus has failed due to student perseverance and a little illegal key-smithing.
Administrators tried to eliminate master keys, which allow students to enter any residential college on campus, by changing all entry locks. Security concerns were cited as the reason for the change.
Students have, however, found a way to adjust existing master keys so that they fit the new locks.
Apparently, the new master keys were available within weeks of the start of the school year.
Alex B. Livingston, Elizabeth J. Riemer and Susan S. Shin compiled this article, with wire dispatches.