By Zion Sykes, Giselle Concepcion, and Najee Rodriguez

To Whom It May Concern,

It is with an unfortunate but necessary sense of responsibility that we, the President of the 19th Assembly, Vice President of the 18th Assembly, and President of the 17th Assembly and Vice President of the 16th Assembly issue this statement. Our purpose is not to sow division, but to affirm something deeper than any individual disagreement: our shared commitment to due process, democratic norms, and the foundational responsibilities entrusted to student government. As elected representatives of the more than 40,000 students of the University Park campus, we understand the privilege and weight of that role, including the obligation to act with integrity, transparency, and in accordance with our governing documents.

Recent actions taken within our student government are deeply troubling, not only in their outcome but, more critically, in the manner in which they were carried out. The process violated the core principles of democratic deliberation and constitutional procedure that student government is meant to model for our campus and beyond.

There was no Judicial Board seated to oversee the process and ensure fairness and equity. The impeachment proceedings were planned behind closed doors, rushed without proper notice, and executed without public transparency. This does not simply undermine one person; it undermines the entire student body. It makes a mockery of the very organization we swore to uphold, and it betrays the students who placed their trust in their elected representatives. Many of the individuals who orchestrated this dangerous precedent campaigned on transparency, fairness, equity, and a change of organizational culture. None of those values were present on April 23, the night the president was impeached.

In this case, neither the individual targeted for removal nor the public received adequate notice. The community was not presented with an explanation for the removal. Most glaringly, the motion itself stood in direct contradiction to established parliamentary procedure. In accordance with parliamentary procedure, it should have been ruled out of order entirely. By bypassing these protocols, this action became not only procedurally flawed but also fundamentally anti-democratic.

Let us be clear: Due process is not optional, it is essential. It is a principle we’ve each come to understand through our time in leadership. And it is our civic duty to protect it. Any action taken against a duly elected official, especially one as grave as removal, must strictly follow the procedures laid out in our organization’s constitution and bylaws. These documents are not symbolic. They are binding. They are what distinguish governance from chaos, legitimacy from arbitrary rule. If we normalize violations like these, especially in today’s political climate, we risk undermining the very institutions we were elected to protect, and the democratic institutions that exist beyond.

To those who argue that the ends justified the means, we ask: If impeachment was truly warranted, why not follow the right path? With transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the rules we demand our elected leaders follow. A student government with a constitution and operational bylaws must hold itself to the highest standard, not just in principle but in practice. Now more than ever, we must remember…we are not above the rules we create.

This is not about one individual. It is not about the rationale for the impeachment. It is about precedent. It is about the kind of culture we choose to build in our student-led institutions, and it’s a culture that will shape the future of our country and the world. One that honors deliberation and justice, not one that allows personal or political motives to erode the rule of law.

We call for reflection. We call for accountability. And most of all, we call for a return to process. Anything less does a disservice to the students we serve, and to the democratic values we were entrusted to uphold.

Sincerely,

Zion Sykes, President of the 19th Assembly 
Giselle Concepcion, Vice President of the 18th Assembly
Najee Rodriguez, President of the 17th Assembly and Vice President of the 16th Assembly

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This post, written by Zion Sykes, Giselle Concepcion, and Najee Rodriguez, was submitted independently as part of our community content program. You could have your content published on Onward State by submitting it here or by contacting [email protected].