<p>Just a few weeks after losing a pair of potential starters for the 2006 opener at Holy Cross, the Harvard football team had a third player suspended indefinitely by head coach Tim Murphy. </p>
<p>Matt Thomas '06-'07, named team captain of the 2006 Crimson on Nov. 22nd, was arrested by Harvard University police on June 5th and charged with assault and battery domestic abuse, breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, and malicious destruction of property in connection with an incident in Currier House. </p>
<p>According to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) report, officers were "dispatched to a report of a possible assault that had just occurred" at 2:12am on the 5th. An individual who was unidentified in the report returned to her room that night to find Thomas asleep on her floor. After waking, Thomas "became confrontational, yelling and striking the individual," according to the report. </p>
<p>Two Currier House residents told The Crimson that they had spoken with close friends of Thomas who indicated that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident, although the brief version of the police report released to the public makes no mention of Thomas being in such a state...</p>
<p>CB, is there really a point to posting negative stories about Harvard on the Harvard board? It seems like such a trollish thing to do. (And by the way, I find it equally obnoxious, as do you, when people - who shall remain nameless - start negative threads about Yale or New Haven on the Yale board.)</p>
<p>When I first found this site, you used to be a constructive contributor to the dialogue around here. What happened?</p>
<p>When was the time he was "a constructive contributor to the diologue? I don't remember it. Although - to give him his due, even the Bulldog has trouble stomaching his fellow Yalie Troll, "Poster X"!</p>
<p>i think this is definitely relevant to this board- just look at the thread on the duke scandal on that board (which coincidentally also deals with irresponsible 'student athletes' at a top university...) where else should harvard news be posted?</p>
<p>God you guys are blinkered. Apart from fun, this bored is meant to give applicants an idea of whether they'd like to go to Harvard. Do you really think hiding anything negative about Harvard is a good way of doing this?</p>
<p>The story sounds appalling, btw. Hope for all involved it's been massively overblown.</p>
<p>Incidents involving terrible behavior by drunken college students are found on every campus. And to compare this to the Duke situation is absurd. But my reaction was not so much to the substance of the post as to the identity of the poster - who has turned into the second most aggressive Yale troll on these boards - and his decision to come over to the Harvard board to start a negative thread on Harvard, which was clearly a trollish act.</p>
<p>I also find it a little ironic that, in the past, CB has repeatedly quoted from and linked to an article called the Cult of Yale as part of his claim that Yale students are happier than Harvard students. The main focus of that article is that it's easier to get alcohol and get plastered at Yale than at Harvard. In light of incidents like this one, if it's true that it's harder to get alcohol at Harvard than at Yale, I'd say that's a plus for Harvard. (Though, unfortunately, I'm skeptical that the claim is true.)</p>
<p>Turning to the substance, the following quote from the Harvard football coach, contained in the linked article, is pretty consistent with my thoughts on the situation:
[quote]
"The only thing I'll say is that I am definitely concerned about drinking and binge drinking," he said. "I think historically our kids have had a remarkable record of citizenship on campus, but there have been just a couple things this spring. Both involved heavy drinking and obviously I'm very concerned."
<p>There's nothing wrong pointing out some negative press (from your own Crimson no less), especially when it does have an impact on social/athletic life. You're gut reaction of attacking me instead of the substance of the article is a tad repulsive. Maybe you should think about the example you are setting to harvard hopefuls next time you respond to an article in which domestic violence is the topic. </p>
<p>I found your second post to be much more relevant and insightful.</p>
<p>(edit: Byerly, I'm glad to see, oddly enough, that you are still here. There was a scare from the other board)</p>
<p>Actually, I found the story very reassuring. It shows that the Harvard coach is not sweeping things under the rug. Let's face it, stupid and sometimes even criminal behavior by students can happen anywhere. What is important to me is whether a college administration does something about it or not. In this case, Harvard did. Good for the coach, good for Harvard.</p>
<p>The charge is "assault and battery[,] domestic abuse, breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, and malicious destruction of property in connection". You really think the college wouldn't think twice about that? Four seperate criminal charges?! Unless it's a very misleading article, or he's acquitted, it sounds very serious - certainly something the college should be aware of given the victim was another student...</p>
<p>These are separate charges but they all stem from one single incident. Of course the college is aware--which is why the student is being suspended. There is an investigation going on. What decision the college (as opposed to the sports team) takes should await the result of the investigation.</p>
<p>CAMBRIDGE -- The Harvard University football captain has been indefinitely suspended and faces possible dismissal from the team as he prepares for a hearing on multiple criminal charges, including assault and battery domestic abuse and breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony at a campus dorm.</p>
<p>Matthew C. Thomas, an all-Ivy linebacker who last November was named the 133d football captain in school history, was arrested June 5 after he allegedly broke into the room of his former girlfriend in Gilbert Hall at Currier House and physically abused her, according to a criminal complaint filed by Harvard police in Cambridge District Court.</p>
<p>Witnesses said they first saw Thomas, who is 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 245 pounds, <code>strangling [the alleged victim] with one hand" before</code>he suddenly lifted her and drove his knee into her chest," according to a Harvard police report accompanying the complaint...</p>
<p>Just because he was an Ivy League star does not mean he is good enough to make the team at those football powerhouses. Those places might take a risk with a marginal student, but even if he were athletically qualified, not much point in bringing in someone who can't leave the Cambridge jurisdiction, and might be headed to jail.</p>
<p>Until recently, Murphy had a record of graduating every single player he recruited. Everyone makes mistakes.</p>