Secret Harvard club breaks silence, followed by an apology

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BOSTON (AP) — A Boston business leader who broke the public silence of a 225-year-old Harvard all-male club has apologized after critics said his comments blamed women for sexual assault.

Charlie Storey, the president of Boston's Harpoon Brewery, had written a letter to Harvard's student newspaper defending the school's social clubs for refusing to accept women. He was writing as graduate president of the Porcellian Club, which was formed in 1791 and is known for its long tradition of secrecy.

Storey posted an apology on Harpoon Brewery's website Wednesday, saying his comment was misinterpreted.

"Unfortunately, I chose my words poorly and it came out all wrong," he wrote. "I take the issue of sexual assault extremely seriously, and I am truly sorry to those I have offended."

The Porcellian Club's past members include Theodore Roosevelt. It is among several clubs that are under scrutiny from Harvard's administration for refusing to accept women. In March, a university task force accused the clubs of having "deeply misogynistic attitudes" that have fueled sexual misconduct.

Storey pushed back against the accusation in his letter. "Forcing single-gender organizations to accept members of the opposite sex could potentially increase, not decrease the potential for sexual misconduct," he wrote.

Calls to Storey's office weren't returned. A man who answered the Porcellian Club's phone number declined to comment.

In response to Storey's letter, Dean Rakesh Khurana of Harvard's undergraduate college said in a statement that the attitudes and behaviors of single-gender clubs "remain at odds with the aspirations of the 21st century to which the college hopes and expects our students will contribute," and that the college has a responsibility to protect students.