55th Student Senate starts new term with uncertainty

Web Technologies Group Chairperson Gabriel Jacoby-Cooper ’24 announced that, following a formal complaint, the Elections Commission referred an individual to the Judicial Board for disciplinary action. The individual, who asked to remain anonymous, was present at the Senate meeting. They were not told about the referral prior to the meeting. To explain why they had not given the individual prior notice, the Commission explained that all of their decisions were required to be public. Following further questions, Elections Commission Chairperson Timothy Miles ’24 explained that this referral was not the Commission passing any judgment but simply a necessary step after receiving a formally-lodged complaint. The Commission also stressed that this investigation will have no effect on the results of the election, which has already been certified.

The Elections Commission provided the following comment to The Poly: “The Elections Commission requests that any article written about the announcement of a referral to the Judicial Board not include the name of the individual referenced until after the case is resolved to avoid any further harm to their character. It was not our intention to reveal the individual’s name and their connection to an ongoing investigation prematurely, and for that we apologize.”

This Student Senate meeting was held on April 8, 2024. The Senate meets every Monday at 8 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery.