Charges that Bermuda College vice-president Dr. Donald Peters has broken Bermuda law and should resign were levelled yesterday by Education shadow minister Tim Smith.

Dr. Peters' actions were also decried by head of the National Association for Reconciliation (NAR) Dr. Eva Hodgson, a member of the College's governing body.

Their comments came in the wake of disclosure of an internal memo from Dr.

Peters, a Dominican-born US citizen. In the memo Dr. Peters accused Bermuda College chief financial officer Barbara Green, a white US citizen, of having racist motivations in her proposals to reorganise the college hierarchy.

The memo which was leaked to The Royal Gazette , was sent to 13 black members of the College staff by Dr. Peters. In it he accuses Ms. Green of "disrespecting...the value of black people'', and among other things he wrote, "Apparently the CFO believes that we at Bermuda College have been doing it all wrong and that Vice President's position has too much authority.

After all in the United States, black people are not allowed to have much authority.'' Shadow Education minister Tim Smith yesterday held the matter to be a clear cut case for resignation and questioned why an investigation was even needed.

"The heat from the College Board of Governors and from the Minister of Education for Dr. Peters to resign should be dizzying.'' he said. "Instead, we have a promise from the Chairman of the Board to carry out a full investigation.

"What really is there to investigate? Dr. Peters admits to writing a memo that contains language that clearly contravenes Bermuda's Human Rights legislation.'' Mr. Smith said the memo's distribution "to persons within the College clearly not authorised to be made aware of the re-organisation discussion, not only undermines a work colleague, but also brings the College into disrepute.'' He charged that Dr. Peters' "racist thinking and practice'' could have far-reaching effects.

"Regardless of what Dr. Peters may have done well for the College, unfortunately, the memo damages his won credibility so seriously that he should do the honourable thing and resign.'' said Mr. Smith. "If he doesn't the Board should do the honourable thing and ask for his resignation.

"It is incumbent on the Board to act swiftly and decisively; otherwise I am afraid we will see a serious erosion in the confidence parents and students place in the Bermuda College.'' He added, "What is probably most dizzying is the fact that we all expect a place of higher learning to be at the vanguard of enlightened thinking. We send our children there to learn how to create a better world for everybody.

Racist thinking and practice is far from enlightened.'' Dr. Hodgson, speaking personally as a member of the NAR, described Dr. Peter's actions as showing "extremely poor judgment''.

In a letter to the Gazette , she said, "Even if everything in it were correct it was hardly the correct approach.

"The Bermuda College has black and white staff and black and white students.

If Ms Green were manifesting racial attitudes, specifics could have been brought to the governing body.'' But Dr. Hodgson also claimed "neither racism nor political corruption is new at the Bermuda College''.

And she contended that there is a movement within the College to undermine the Board and the Progressive Labour Party Government.

"It is evident that there is an enemy of the Governing Body and of the PLP Government within the College.'' she said.

"Under the previous Government the public heard nothing of internal conflicts through the press.'' "The biggest challenge to the current Chairman, in addition to trying to change the long established politically corrupt and racist culture of the Bermuda College is to get rid of the `enemy within'.'' DISCRIMINATION DIS