DATE: Tuesday, May 20, 1997                 TAG: 9705200363

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A3   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: CHARLESTON, S.C.                  LENGTH:   51 lines

CITADEL PUT WOMEN IN COMPANY THAT GLORIFIES NAZIS, GRADUATES SAY

Three female Citadel cadets were assigned to a company that called itself ``Der Stalag'' and where some cadets glorified Nazi symbols, two former male cadets alleged in federal court papers Monday.

``There appears to be a tradition of Nazi symbols among some Citadel cadets, concentrated among cadets who The Citadel has chosen as officers and leaders,'' Craig Belsole and Dan Eggars allege.

Belsole and Eggars also allege college officials were told about the hazing last year of Jeanie Mentavlos and Kim Messer and did nothing about it. The college denies that allegation and has disciplined Belsole and Eggars for failing to report the hazing until after Mentavlos and Messer's allegations surfaced.

Mentavlos and Messer left the school last winter, saying they were hazed and harassed. They alleged their clothes were set on fire with nail polish remover, cleanser was put on their heads and they were forced to stand in a closet while being shoved and kicked.

Two other women, Nancy Mace and Petra Lovetinska, completed their freshman year last week without hazing complaints.

Mace was assigned to the school's band company. Messer, Mentavlos and Lovetinska were assigned to Echo Company. Belsole and Eggars allege that Echo Company has a metal file locker labeled ``Der Stalag Clerks,'' which also contains a picture of a young man giving the ``Heil, Hitler'' salute.

The Citadel had no comment, spokesman Terry Leedom said. ``I haven't seen a swastika. I believe I have been in every company in the place, and I have never seen a swastika,'' he said.

Neither Messer nor Mentavlos mentioned Nazi symbols in their depositions that have been made public.

Interim college President Clifton Poole said after the hazing allegations surfaced in December that Echo Company was known for its discipline and that college officials felt confident male cadets there would follow the rules.

Belsole and Eggars are fighting a subpoena from The Citadel that seeks documents the two provided the FBI, which is investigating the hazing allegations.

In their court filings, the pair said they gave the FBI photos and video tapes of Nazi symbols at the school and tape recordings illustrating how Citadel officials tried to retaliate against them for going public with their charges.

The pair, who graduated Saturday, originally made their allegations that Citadel officials knew of the hazings on the CBS program ``60 Minutes.''

Also Monday, U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck began reviewing The Citadel's updated plan for admitting more women, but then recessed the hearing until today to give U.S. Justice Department government attorneys more time to study the plan.

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