Authors: William Douglas Pagination:

19 Personal Names: Harleston, Bernard Harleston, David (Copyright Newsday Inc., 1992)

Tragedy Puts CCNY in Spotlight The disparate worlds of City College President Bernard Harleston and his son, David, collided the night that a deadly human stampede resulted in nine deaths inside the Nat Holman Gymnasium. David Harleston is president of Def Jam Records, the label of LL Cool J and Nice & Smooth, two of the acts that were to appear at the rap celebrity basketball game on the campus his father has run for the past 11 years. Bernard Harleston said he was unaware that rappers were going to appear in the gym that Dec. 28 evening.

David Harleston said he didn't know about the event or that any his label's artists were to attend until after the tragedy occurred. The artists who agreed to appear at the game were asked by promotor Sean Combs or rapper Heavy D., sponsors said. "Def Jam had no involvement in the event whatsoever," David Harleston said. "Some of our artists were there. If they appeared, they did so on their own. As a record company, we do not control the day-to-day activity of our artists." But the family tie prompted City University of New York officials to quiz Bernard Harleston, university sources said. After a query, CUNY Chancellor W. Ann Reynolds was assured that the relationship between the Harlestons played no role in the ill-fated event, sources said. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

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