After months of debate, student council made the final ruling to fund the Multicultural Student Coalition. But now, members of the Student Services Finance Committee are asking the Student Judiciary to deem the decision invalid.
In their complaint, the representatives said some student council members had “clear biases” in favor of MCSC and took the group’s point of view into account when ruling, violating “viewpoint neutrality.”
The complaint alleged ASM Chair Allie Gardner and other student council representatives expressed support for the group’s funding prior to the decision being brought to student council because they are friends with MCSC members.
But Gardner said SSFC representatives are also friends with members of other student groups funded through student fees, and as long as both rule objectively, viewpoint neutrality is upheld.
The complaint also said any student council member who ruled that MCSC did not intentionally violate university policy by allegedly sidestepping contracting policies to hire an alumni trainer was either “grossly negligent in considering the evidence” or found the violation unintentional “for the sole purpose of funding the group.”
SSFC Chair Sarah Neibart said the alleged violations illustrate that student council is uninformed on how to properly make viewpoint neutral decisions.
“I think that this holistic lack of knowledge of student council members is really detrimental for ASM,” Neibart said.
But Gardner said although the eligibility process was inherently different in student council than in SSFC, representatives ruled in a viewpoint neutral manner.
“They’re trying to charge people with viewpoint neutrality violations, which is a really serious charge, and I think it’s being thrown around a little bit carelessly,” Gardner said.
