Impeachment of SGA members, no statements released

Students who are members of the Student Government Association (SGA) and New Student Advisory Council (NSAC) are elected by their fellow students and are expected to follow certain rules and expectations set by the university.

What happens to those members who do not follow those standards?

They can be removed by a process of impeachment. 

According to Article V of the SGA’s constitution, Impeachment and Removal of Members, any student government official may be impeached. Officials can be removed on the basis of “... negligence or dereliction of constitutional duties or conviction by a civil authority of a felony.” These convicted members have the opportunity to speak their defense. 

NSAC member Andrew Stone spoke up on behalf of USC Aiken’s baseball coach Kenny Thomas after Thomas received backlash from a comment on a Facebook post regarding Black Lives Matter. Thomas commented, “It is 100% shameful, I promise you will never see anything like this on my field. I support the Blue and not ashamed to say it.”

Stone originally scheduled a rally to defend Coach Thomas, but the event was later canceled. 

SGA president Samuel Boyd explained, “The executives had a lengthy conversation with Andrew to help align our perspectives ... and in no way did we ask Andrew to change his opinions … There is no statement that represents the full SGA currently.”

Boyd further explained when committees are created there will be more full public statements.