A pending Student Government University Trial Court complaint has brought about the combination of various SG committees’ e-mail lists.
Donald Hodge, Graduate School senator, filed a complaint against Preston Walhood, Student Senate undersecretary, because he was allegedly removed four times from the e-mail lists and had to make public record requests to obtain them.
The U-Court will debate whether Hodge and other SG members are entitled to real-time access for all committee e-mails even if they are not committee members, instead of having to file public record requests for all e-mails after the e-mails are sent. Real-time access means that Hodge would receive the e-mails at the same time as other members on the e-mail lists.
Hodge said his access to the lists is crucial to keeping him informed about SG business. In the complaint Hodge requests that the U-Court allow students to have real-time e-mail access, so they do not have to make public record requests for them.
“There is so much going on in Student Government,” Hodge said. “There is no way to know what’s going on without being on the lists.”
SG President Michelle Gieg said she authorized Hodge’s addition to the lists but does not know who removed Hodge.
Walhood said there was “a lot of miscommunication” involved with the e-mail lists. Walhood admitted to removing Hodge once from the lists but said his duty was to maintain the Senate’s portion of the list.
Walhood said Hodge’s request to be added to the list was never given to him in writing, so he was unaware that Hodge had been added with the executive branch’s knowledge.
Gieg said she authorized the addition of Hodge to all lists, and she did not know who removed him three additional times.
“We are a public body,” Gieg said. “The correspondence is public record. We try to be as transparent as possible.”
“I want to know what’s going on,” Hodge said. “If I get asked, I want to answer questions. Students have the right to know.”
Neal Hebert, chief justice of the U-Court, said he expects a Monday night ruling on the case.
Gieg said she is waiting on the opinion of the U-Court before restructuring the list.
 
Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]