Student Association President Under Judicial Review
Student Association President, Eric Evangelista, is under Judicial Review for violations. This was accidentally announced tonight when Evangelista mistakenly sent an email to the entire student body, that was meant for the SA Cabinet and Assembly only. The email included a forwarded email to Evangelista from Abdulaziz Al-Sulaiti, Vice Chair of the Judicial Review Board, stating that Evangelista was under review, and attached his notice of violations. The attachment was not included in the e-mail that was sent to the student body.
According to a phone conversation on Thursday with Al-Sulaiti, Co-Chair of the Judicial Review Board, the violation was sent after an action was taken at this Monday’s Student Association meeting in an attempt to fill the vacant public relations co-chair position. Evangelista nominated Nicole Sherwood, a senior PR major to the position without opening the position to the student body. Members of the assembly expressed concerns about Sherwood’s attendance as well as Evangelista’s decision not to open applications to the student body. In order to promote inclusivity, members of the assembly felt that a more open call for applications would be welcomed. After debate during Monday’s meeting, the PR co-chair position was left unfilled and the matter tabled until a call for applicants could be sent to the student body.
Al-Sulaiti told CitrusTV that Evangelista was supposed to send a call for applications to the campus community after Monday’s meeting to allow approximately a week for applications to be submitted. Evangelista did not send the requested e-mail. Thus, the Notice of Violation was sent to Evangelista on Thursday evening and then inadvertently forwarded to the campus community shortly thereafter along with an explanation by Evangelista of what had occurred. Per Al-Sulaiti, this was a constitutional violation.
In the e-mail, Evangelista states that he did not send the e-mail the assembly requested because another e-mail was already schedule for February 1st. In the forthcoming message, he says he intended to include the call for PR co-chair applications. A separate e-mail was not sent in order to “maintain maximum credibility amongst a students [sic] population likely experiencing ‘email fatigue’.” Evangelista apologized to members of the cabinet and assembly for any indiscretion and reaffirmed his commitment ensuring the 60th session of the Student Assembly would be a productive one.
At this time, the JRB did not wish to release a copy of the Notice of Violation. The Judicial Review Board is scheduled to meet on Friday. CitrusTV will continue to update this story with new information as we confirm it.
