Student Senate members introduced a bill of impeachment against Graduate School Sen. Ricardo Malbrew at its Wednesday night meeting. The bill was introduce by Sen. Patrick Esfeller, College of Arts and Sciences, and was signed by nine other senators. According to the impeachment bill, Malbrew allegedly broke both the Student Government bylaws and the University Student Code of Conduct. Malbrew said he did not do anything wrong. The bill cites four violations, which include “intentionally misrepresenting himself as a representative of Greek Affairs to a member of the LSU community while acting in the capacity of a Student Government Senator… furnish[ing] false information to a member of the LSU community… continu[ing] to pursue his interrogation of a witness to the point of having a police report complaint filed against him for harassment” and “harassing a member of the LSU community as a representative of Student Government.” The incident began after allegations arose that Preston Walhood, E.J. Ourso College of Business senate and Theta Xi member, referred to Mary Taylor, Theta Xi’s cook, as a “negro” on his 21st birthday. The violations were raised at the Senate meeting when Paul Wattigny, Theta Xi alumnus, read a statement signed by Taylor to the Senate. Malbrew told The Daily Reveille in an interview Thursday night that he went to the Theta Xi house twice Monday to investigate an offensive comment made by Walhood. In Taylor’s statement, Wattigny read that Taylor had been approached by Malbrew, who had introduced himself as a representative of Greek Affairs. He also read that Taylor had been told that if she attended the Senate meeting and accused Walhood, she could get a pay raise. Malbrew denied both allegations and maintains that he did not act unethically. He also said he thinks members of Theta Xi “coaxed” her into writing the statement. Two members of SG, Whitney Breaux, University College for Center for the Freshman Year senator, and Esfeller gave The Daily Reveille a tape-recorded interview they conducted Thursday afternoon with Taylor. In the taped interview, Taylor confirmed that the statement read to the Senate was an accurate depiction of what happened. She said on the recording that at 7:50 a.m. Monday Malbrew approached her at the back of the Theta Xi house and introduced himself as a representative of Greek Affairs who was investigating the comments made by Walhood. According to the tape recording, she said Malbrew asked her to sign a statement confirming that Walhood had called her that weekend from his birthday party and referred to her as a “negro.” Taylor refused to sign a statement because she said the event had never happened and had heard nothing about it until Malbrew spoke to her outside the Theta Xi house. But Walhood made an apology at the Student Senate meeting for referring to Taylor with what he callled an “offensive and inappropriate” term. He also said he did not talk to her on the phone but had said it in conversation with another person. On the tape, Taylor said Malbrew came back to see her at the Theta Xi house with another person, Collins Phillips, Student Equality Commission president, around 3 p.m. The two offered to bring Taylor to the meeting, she said. She said she was told by Malbrew that if she went to the meeting, he would try to help her get a raise. She also said she filed a report with LSUPD because she was scared and Malbrew said he would come back the following day. Taylor said on the tape she did not want them to return because she thought it was suspicious that he kept waiting for her at the back of the house. Malbrew said he thinks nothing Taylor said on the tape can be considered accurate because she was forced to incriminate Malbrew by members of Theta Xi. The Daily Reveille was not able to contact Taylor for additional comment. Malbrew also said Taylor told him things she would not tell others about Walhood because they are both black. “Theta Xi coaxed that woman,” Malbrew said. “There are certain things that woman told me that I can’t say in public.” Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, LSUPD spokesman, said Taylor filed a report of a “suspicious person.” He said the case was still under investigation because the suspect has not been positively identified. Malbrew said Taylor did not identify him in the police report in order to protect him because she was being forced to file the report by members of Theta Xi. Phillips said he was under the impression that it was Malbrew’s first visit when he accompanied him to the Theta Xi house. “I agree with the charges if she felt Ricardo was bothering her,” Phillips said. “I do believe Preston and Ricardo acted unethically.” The bill of impeachment will be voted for Wednesday night at the next Student Senate meeting.
News Editor Ginger Gibson contributed to this story.
—–Contact Rebekah Allen at rallen@lsureveille.com