SR 44, Palin Impeachment
Referred to the Government Operations Committee by the Student Senate President
Defeated by roll call vote
Online Text
(legacy online version)
SENATE RESOLUTION 44
A RESOLUTION TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO IMPEACH SENATOR PALIN
Short Title: Palin Impeachment. (Public)
Sponsored by: Senators Duggins, HARPER, JONES, OVERCASH.
First Reading: October 10, 2001. Version Date: April 2, 2002.
Referred to: Government Operations Committee.
WHEREAS, Gary D. Palin, a student of North Carolina State University, became a
Student Senator, representing the Graduate School, on April 18, 2001; and,
WHEREAS, the Student Government Code of Ethics states, "The responsibilities of a
Student Government Official shall be…to continually encourage collegiality among all Student Government officials;" and,
WHEREAS, in a written treatise to the Student Senate, the chair of the Government
Operations Committee established the definition of "collegiality" to be "the common, vested relationship among colleagues;" and,
WHEREAS, Senator Palin has continuously undermined collegiality among the Student
Senate and its leadership; and,
WHEREAS, the Student Government Code of Ethics states, "The responsibilities of a
Student Government Official shall be…to represent Student Government and NC State University in a beneficial and respective manner;" and,
WHEREAS, several staff of the university have expressed displeasure with the manner
in which Senator Palin has represented Student Government; and,
WHEREAS, on May 5, 2001, Senator Palin illegally removed a lectern that was
property of The Student Centers; and,
WHEREAS, Senator Palin, when approached about the lectern, lied about the property
and its whereabouts to staff of The Student Centers; and,
WHEREAS, stealing and lying are not beneficial representation and, thus, represent a
violation of the Student Government Code of Ethics; and,
WHEREAS, should the Senate find Senator Palin guilty of these allegations at trial,
according to the procedures set out in the Student Body Statutes,
Chapter 2, Article 2, the Senator shall be immediately removed from office, and prohibited from serving in a Student Government Office for the remainder of the 2001-2002 academic year, and for the 2002-2003 academic year; now, therefore be it,
RESOLVED, that the North Carolina State University Student Senate hereby impeaches
Senator Gary Palin on the charges of:
(i)
violation of the collegiality clause of the code of ethics, given thespecifications:
(1) on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Palin referred to the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate as a "biased son of a bitch";
(2) Sen. Palin loudly verbally abused Sen. Jones in the Student
Government Office on Friday, November 9;
(3) Sen. Palin screamed and gestured in a menacing and threatening
manner at newly-appointed Sen. Hines at the September 26, 2001
Senate meeting;
(4) Sen. Palin called Sen. Duggins a "bitch" during the October 18, 2001
meeting of the Tuition and Fees Committee;
(5) Sen. Palin made intimidating comments to belittle the official plans of
the Parliamentarian in late August 2001;
(ii) violation of the beneficial representation clause of the code of ethics,
given the specifications:
(1) Sen. Palin addressed Mrs. Heather Griswold, the Student Government
Administrative Assistant, in a profane manner in September 2001;
(2) Sen. Palin addressed Mrs. Cira Mervin, the Student Government
Office Manager, in a profane manner in September 2001;
(3) Sen. Palin took, without permission, a lectern belonging to the Student
Centers on the day of the March on the Capitol;
(4) Sen. Palin lied to the staff of the Student Center regarding his
involvement in the removal of a lectern for the March on the Capitol;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, that the North Carolina State University Student Senate establishes
April 10, 2001 at 7:30pm, as the date for the impeachment trial for
Senator Palin.