Ok, I understand better now.
The tragic case of Larry J. Harmon was prominent in the newspapers when it happened because LSD was becoming known as a dangerous drug, and MIT was not the only university that gave the impression they condoned experimentation. Worse yet, the parents of this student claimed they had not been notified by MIT officials that they had put him on the plane. Administration officials told reporters they no longer acted “in loco parentis” but treated their students as adults.
MIT student newspaper, The Tech, wrote: ‘Certainly University High in Spokane will be wary of sending more students our way. No doubt the tarnish on MIT’s reputation worries the admissions office a wee bit. But a Nobel prizewinner or Clean Air Car Race will restore its luster. No sweat.”