This is a developing story, last updated at 2:22 p.m. April 25
At the April 24 Student Senate meeting, the Senate removed Treasurer Reagan Farmer.
According to the Senate’s constitution, in cases of impeachment, an officer can be expelled regarding gross or willful neglect of the Senate, but a two-thirds vote can overturn the impeachment. Students were also present to speak out about the lack of communication of the impeachment trial.
After an hour of deliberation, the Senate voted to uphold Farmer’s impeachment with a 13-13 vote and five abstentions, which did not reach the required two-thirds to overturn the impeachment, according to a student senate press release.
With this decision, Farmer no longer be Senate president during the 2024-2025 academic year. Dan Gordillo, who was Farmer’s vice president running mate, took over and was sworn in as president for the 2024-25 school year.
“I am incredibly grateful for the time I have spent in Student Senate,” Farmer said in a statement to The Post. “The importance of the skills I’ve learned and the friendships I’ve made cannot be overstated. I am excited to see what this body can accomplish next year from afar and I know Student Senate will be in good hands.”
Gordillo said that he wishes to let everyone know he is ready to serve them, as well as be responsible for navigating Senate and the student body through the aftermath of the occurrences of this semester.
“I am ready to be responsible to the body as we navigate the aftermath of what has occurred tonight,“ Gordillo said in his inaugural speech. "We as a body have heard the term ‘hard times’ too much as of late. These hard times shall pass. This sentiment will not carry into next year."
Gordillo said he plans to make changes to the Senate within the culture, communication and transparency of the governing body. He plans to work his hardest to put the student body first.
“There’s a culture issue here within this government, I intend to break that culture,” Gordillo said. “I intend to revitalize this.”
On April 5, Farmer won the presidency for 2024-25 Academic Year, along with her running mates on the Unity ticket, which include Gordillo, who won vice president, Johnny Susany, who won treasurer, Luke Vannus for SAC delegate, Aidan Kirk for residence life senator and Landen Hensel for residence life senator.
At the end of the Senate meeting, Gordillo was sworn in as the new president-elect.
In screenshots of the Student Senate Slack obtained by The Post, Kiandra Martin, who was presidential runner-up, said the judiciary panel voted Friday to impeach Farmer; however, Martin said she found out about Farmer’s voted impeachment from students unaffiliated with the Senate.
Other Senate members, including LGBTQIA+ Senator Kelsi Saunders, responded to Martin’s Slack message and said she did not know about the impeachment either.
Before entering the executive session, both students within the Senate and outside of it spoke about the lack of transparency involving the removal of executive officers.
One of the first students to speak was Martin, who ran for Student Senate president this year. She said she was upset about hearing about Farmer's possible impeachment from students who are not involved with the Senate.
Martin said she did not understand why the Senate had heard almost immediately about the potential removal of Vice President Isaac Davis in February but did not receive an email about Farmer’s potential impeachment until five days after the investigation had concluded.
She also said she had sent a message in Slack to all members of the Senate to ask about the impeachment and no one responded.
“That is not transparency nor communication,” Martin said. “These allegations that are going around, the things that I've seen that Isaac's lawyer has put out, is not transparency and communication. The things that I've heard people say about me are not transparency and communication.”
Ayshni Tandon, minority affairs vice commissioner, also spoke out about her negative experiences from being in the Senate, such as being followed, harassed, cyberbullied and humiliated on campus.
“I could not walk to class, Alden, Baker (or) anywhere on campus without people laughing, pointing, whispering, asking questions,” Tandon said. “I couldn't raise my hand and participate in class now. Some of y'all follow me around, like creepy to try and listen to what I was saying.”
Tandon said she felt unsafe and watched in her own home and at school and blamed Senate President Megan Handle, Farmer, Gordillo and Director of PR Kylie Christa. Tandon continued speaking after the two minute time limit, and under rules and procedures was exhibiting disruptive behavior, Handle said.
Other students within Senate, Senator for Accessibility and Accommodation Reese Morris and University Life Senator Luke Fredricks, said they had considered leaving Senate because of the embarrassment they have felt from being a Senate member.
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