Associated Student Government President Steve Macias and Student Affairs Commissioner Monica Guzman face a recall election Oct. 27 and 28.
A petition for recall was circulated by the Queer-Straight Alliance about a week after the Genocide Awareness Project held a graphic anti-abortion demonstration on the Quad. Controversial images seen in that Sept. 16 and 17 display included disfigured fetuses alongside lynching and Holocaust imagery and ignited debate across campus.
“The [QSA] group felt like Steve was misrepresenting the GAP group to the student population, and a lot of [QSA] group members felt that it was important that the ASG president follow the correct procedure for inviting groups on campus,” said Ash Pearson, president of the Queer-Straight Alliance.
The initial recall dates were Oct. 19 and 20, but those dates were approved only by the student senate and not the entire ASG board as required by the ASG constitution. The dates were changed to Oct. 27 and 28 and approved by the board in order to meet that requirement, according to ASG adviser Lee Weathers-Miguel.
Associated Student Government Commissioner of Public Relations Justin Turner said the ASG supports the student body’s right to recall.
“The events are unfortunate,” Turner said, “because there are many issues that we would rather be working on, but if the students have spoken then we will make their voice heard.”
ASG members Turner, Dina Kirben and Debby Dixon all expressed the opinion that the agenda description of the GAP display voted on in August by the ASG board for approval was misleading. Dixon stated that when she asked Macias what the event was about, he replied that it would feature nonpartisan speakers on constitutional issues.
According to the Ralph M. Brown Act, which governs the meetings of local legislative bodies, agenda descriptions “must not be misleading.” The Attorney General’s guide to the Brown Act states that the purpose of agendas is “to inform interested members of the public about the subject matter under consideration.”
Macias said he approved the GAP display on the principle of free speech.
“The student government isn’t here to legislate morality,” Macias said. “Allowing different groups to come on to the campus with controversial opinions doesn’t mean we endorse them.”
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If Macias and Guzman are recalled, Vice President Debbie Dixon would take over as president.
Macias claims proper procedure for the recall has not been followed. In accordance with the ASG constitution, all petitions for recall must be submitted to the ASG Judicial Branch for signature validation. Macias claims this step was superseded, instead being submitted to and validated by faculty adviser Weathers.
“What do I do if my adviser’s against me?” said Macias. “If he’s the one breaking the rules, where’s my recourse?”
Weathers said that though there were some initial problems with the timing of the recall, he has followed procedure in his handling of the recall petition.
“My role has been to enact the will of student government who represents the student body,” Weathers said. “I just facilitate. I don’t influence or control.”
Weathers said that the recall petitions may not be valid in Guzman’s case, because the original petition did not meet the signature requirement and a subsequent petition did not include Guzman’s name. Her name will be included in the recall election, however.
“She’s pretty much off the board anyway because of her unexcused absences,” Weathers added.
Guzman was not available for comment on this article, but e-mails between Guzman and Macias obtained by the Express reveal that Guzman no longer supports Macias.
“I now see that the only interest you have is your own,” Guzman wrote in an e-mail to Macias where she expressed concern over “the events of Sept. 16 and 17,” the days of the GAP presentation.
“At this time I do not trust you,” Guzman wrote to Macias.
