KU Senate declines to impeach executives who didn’t ‘stand in solidarity'

Three student government executives at Kansas University have emerged unscathed after Student Senate voted Wednesday to drop impeachment proceedings against them.

Student Body President Jessie Pringle, Student Body Vice President Zach George, and Chief of Staff Adam Moon first came under fire in November, when the Student Executive Committee recommended pursuing a no-confidence vote that would have forced them from office.

[RELATED: Student leaders who didn’t ‘proclaim that Black Lives Matter’ face impeachment]

According to the committee, their removal was necessary due to “months of frustration at their failure to address racial issues in general,” culminating with their refusal to “stand in solidarity with their black peers and proclaim that Black Lives Matter” during a forum to discuss a list of diversity demands issued by an unofficial student group.

The same group, which goes by the name of “Rock Chalk Invisible Hawks” (RCIH), has continued to agitate for inclusivity initiatives, such as “mandatory, intense ‘inclusion and belonging’ training” for all students and faculty, occasionally butting heads with other students in the process.

In December, for example, RCIH protesters became outraged when sorority members selling candy canes for a children’s cancer charity refused to hand over their proceeds to the group, and proceeded to lambast the sisters on Twitter.

[RELATED: Kids cancer fundraiser deemed microaggression by Kansas BLM protesters]

According to the Lawrence Journal-World, student senators cast separate ballots for each executive, and while vote totals have not been released, a majority voted against impeachment for all three officers.

Conner Mitchell, a reporter for The University Daily Kansan who live-tweeted the proceedings, notes that each executive was allowed to deliver a short speech prior to the voting, during which they focused on refuting the impeachment charges and warning that removing them from office on such a flimsy basis would establish a bad precedent.

“Removing me halts the progress made and has the potential to halt the operations of Senate in the future,” Pringle told the assembly. “A vote for impeachment sets a dangerous precedent.”

“Impeachment should be reserved for acts of gross misconduct,” George concurred after giving a “line-by-line” refutation of the allegations against him. “Let’s put an end to this political in-fighting.”

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @FrickePete