Editor’s Note: In order to protect the reputation of those involved and enable its redaction from the public record, the Student Senate voted 9-1-3 on April 23 to not consider the motion for recall legislation.
The Student Senate called an emergency meeting on Thursday, April 23, in the Student Government Suite to discuss the confirmation of former Judicial Board member Conner Wallace ’27 to the role of J-Board Chairperson. Wallace had served as a member of the J-Board for approximately two years prior to his appointment and displayed a high degree of passion for the board, outlining his goals to better publicize their initiatives as a body and bring J-Board out of the shadows.
During questioning, senators began asking about the status of the previous J-Board Chairperson Sanjit Rajagopalan ’26, as well as the nature of the vote on his appointment. Previously, Rajagopalan had been unable to perform his duties due to extenuating circumstances, leading him to delegate his responsibilities to his Vice Chairperson without fully resigning from the position. Wallace claimed that during his appointment, Vice Chair Cecilia Fenstermaker ’26 acted as chairperson, with the previous chairperson Rajagopalan, assuming the position of a general member. Due to these conditions, Rajagopalan voted in the appointment, an action that raised concerns amongst the Senate as he had never formally resigned from his position, meaning the Senate still recognized him as Chairperson. Additionally, even if he had formally resigned, he would not hold a member position as he would have had to be reappointed. Under these circumstances, Vice Grand Marshal of Internal Affairs Griffin Oliver ’27 moved to object to the consideration of his appointment, as the grounds on which Wallace was appointed were illegitimate.
In an interview with The Poly on the weekend after the meeting, Wallace stressed on his grievances about the meeting and what he sees as a mischaracterization of his actions. He explained that he had requested the emergency meeting because he believed it “was going to be a confirmation hearing for [his] new chairship of the Judicial Board,” and was subsequently blindsided by the events of the emergency meeting. On the question of Rajagopalan's status, Wallace argued that J-Board bylaws permitted what was happening, stating that “the chair is allowed to delegate his abilities to the vice chair in the event that he's unable to perform them without stepping down.” Regarding the emergency meeting itself, he expressed a particular frustration at it being closed to him during the discussion of the motion while Grace Lowden ’28, a confirmed member of J-Board, was allowed to stay and add her thoughts during that time. Additionally, Wallace argued that despite how long the motion to recall his position was, the number of incidental citations included suggests the evidence against him was not particularly solid, concluding that it leaves room for “circumstantial evidence.”
This Senate emergency meeting was held on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The Senate meets every Monday at 7 pm in the Shelnutt Gallery.
