SGA resolution supports Gates
Student Government Association President Mike Zeig is sitting on a resolution that would support Pam Gates.
SGA's Senate and House approved the resolution Monday that supports the administration and Gates, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, in the recent incident that took place between her and Topinabee junior Dennis Lennox II.
"This resolution deals with a complex issue that I will take the necessary time to review before taking any action," said Zeig, a Sterling Heights senior.
Andrew Verburg, Grandville senior and SGA senator, created the resolution because of the timeliness of the recent disputes between Lennox and Gates and Griffin Endowed Chair Gary Peters.
Verburg said Peters continuously is being harassed by a student with a video camera. Lennox went to Gates' office with the camera and was harassing her, Verburg said.
"Currently the administration is looking into the issue and everything that has occurred, and my resolution was to support Pamela Gates in that action," he said. "The focus of the resolution in general is students need to respect faculty and staff and other students."
Because Zeig hasn't signed the resolution, SGA doesn't have an official stance yet. Zeig has one week to approve or veto the resolution before it automatically gets approved.
The House approved the resolution quickly, while the Senate debated the issue.
Verburg said administrators, students and faculty all deserve to be free of harassment from students. Dignitaries, like Peters, will not want to teach at Central Michigan University because they feel they would be harassed, he said.
Derek Gainsforth, Bay City junior and SGA senator, was opposed to the resolution because the bill was too broad and did not properly define what was considered harassment.
"You can have your own interpretation of harassment," he said. "The bill was supposed to be universal but it dealt with one person."
Gainsforth said the student is not breaking the law in videotaping faculty because he is using his freedoms.
"He has freedom of speech and can challenge a political figure," he said.
Verburg said in the end, SGA stood up on an issue and made the right decision.
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