Student Court Rejects Final Challenge to Chair Election

The student judiciary dismissed the final legal challenge to the Associated Students of Madison chair election.

Representative Michael Harry lost the race for the 33rd session chair on April 24. He filed a brief with the student judiciary on April 30 to argue that the results were invalid. On September 14, Harry amended that first brief to request that alleged violators be disqualified from future chair elections.

Harry submitted a second brief on September 22. In that document, he claimed the judiciary mishandled its order on the first brief. He also argued that Chief Justice Chloe Sieman misapplied rules during the proceedings. The second brief stated that requiring a two-thirds majority to take up the first brief as a special order had no precedent.

The student council voted on September 16 to adopt the special order. Adoption required a two-thirds majority. A majority of representatives voted in favor, but the count did not reach the required threshold. Had the motion passed, representatives could have re-elected the 33rd session chair by a simple majority vote.

According to the dismissal notice, a majority of student justices recused themselves from deciding the brief. This group included Chief Justice Sieman, whose recusal Harry had requested. Because of these recusals, the student judiciary did not assign a full panel to hear the case.

ASM Chair Haia Al Zein welcomed the outcome in a statement. "The Student Judiciary's decision gives me hope for the remainder of the 33rd session, and I hope it serves as an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively and move forward in greater unity," Al Zein said.

Sieman, Harry, and the student judiciary declined to comment further on the brief.