The University News

Issue date: 2/13/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Alex Marshall The Student Government Association voted 20-7 to impeach President Marcus Leach at the Wednesday, February 15th SGA meeting

After nearly six hours of discussion that lasted into Thursday morning, the Student Government Association (SGA) senate voted to remove SGA President Marcus Leach from office. The 20-7 vote is the only student government impeachment UMKC administrators can recall.

Executive Vice President Sofya Galich is serving temporarily as president.

Student Superior Court Chief Justice Shimamotoe ruled that 19 votes were needed to remove Leach, but the decision might not stand.

Leach filed an injunction with the Student Superior Court - the judiciary branch of SGA - to stay in office until the administration responds to student petitions. The petitions ask for Leach's reinstatement and the removal of senators pushing for the impeachment.

Before the vote Pan-Hellenic Council Sen. Michael Robins reminded the senate of the gravity of their decision.

"We're dealing with someone's integrity here," Robins said. "It may be a game or a joke to some people, but this is someone's life ... We're supposed to sit and represent students, and we're not doing that."

Amid accusations that the senate does not represent student views, some said they were voting the way their council wanted them to.

"I did take this back to my council … I'm voting the way my council voted, not in a personal vendetta," Residence Hall Student Council Sen. Adrienne May said before the vote.

The senate passed articles to hold an impeachment trial for President Leach and EVP Galich at their Feb. 1 meeting on grounds that they violated regulations and constitutional requirements. Justice Shimamotoe dismissed the articles against Galich, and all but one against Leach, which passed in the subsequent vote.

Look for more coverage in next week's edition of the University News.

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