University pauses vote on USG divestment ballot initiative

Nicole Nowicki
Wed, 06 Mar 2024 01:57:11 +0000
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Students protesting outside of the Keith B. Key Center inside the Ohio Union Jan.10. Ohio State’s administration paused voting on an Undergraduate Student Government ballot initiative calling for the university to divest from companies operating in Israel on Monday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Ohio State’s administration paused voting on an Undergraduate Student Government ballot initiative calling for the university to divest from companies operating in Israel on Monday.

This is the second time the process has been interrupted. The initiative was first removed Feb. 23 by USG because of alleged bylaw violations by OSU Divest, who gathered signatures to put the issue on the ballot.

According to Jineen Musa, second-year in health information systems and outreach chair for Students for Justice in Palestine, the initiative was on the ballot 12 hours after voting started, but was removed after 1 a.m. Tuesday night.?

Members of OSU Divest filed for an appeal after the initiative was removed and were notified Sunday that the initiative would be placed back on the ballot. It was placed back on the ballot Sunday evening and voting opened Monday at noon, initially planned to close Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.?

According to university spokesperson Ben Johnson, the USG Judicial Panel will hold a special hearing where all parties can present additional information and a new review will take place. Voting has been paused until an outcome is reached from the hearing.

Although USG is an independent organization, Johnson said the university is an adviser and resource for the group as it is for all registered student organizations.

“Given the communication by the Undergraduate Student Government Judicial Panel that procedural errors and mistakes have taken place, the university acted to ensure a fair and equitable process is preserved by pausing the ballot initiative while the forthcoming hearing takes place,” Johnson said in a statement.?

According to previous Lantern reporting, this issue has come before USG at least three times in the last 10 years, seen in 2015, 2018 and 2022.?

In 2015, OSU Divest attempted to place the divestment initiative on the ballot, only to have it thrown out by the Judicial Panel due to similar alleged bylaw violations today’s initiative faced. Acknowledging procedural errors, the Judicial Panel decided to hold a special election for the ballot initiative, prompting threats of impeachment due to concerns of an “abuse of power and position” that subsequently caused three justices to resign.?

The voting suspension comes after both OSU Divest and OSU Hillel accused USG of bylaw violations and procedural errors.?

According to OSU Divest’s appeal to the Judicial Panel, the organization accused the panel of applying inconsistent interpretations of the bylaws, committing procedural errors that set back their ability to collect petition signatures and applying a harsh penalty in the disqualification of all 415 digital signatures collected by one of the circulators, Jineen Musa, a second-year in health information systems and outreach chair for Students for Justice in Palestine.?

After OSU Divest submitted an appeal Thursday concerning the signatures, the Judicial Panel allowed the ballot initiative to be placed on the ballot Sunday due to the recognition that “procedural ambiguities and inconsistencies in the interpretation of the bylaws have unfairly penalized them” due to “unclear and outdated bylaws regarding digital petitioning,” according to documents from the appeal ruling.

According to the appeal ruling, 1,078 out of 1,247 signatures submitted were validated, reversing the initial decision to invalidate 415 signatures retrieved by Musa, as they were properly submitted with the correct petitioner attached.?

On Monday, OSU Hillel stated in an email that was sent to the Hillel community that Jewish student leaders petitioned USG due to the fact that “Students for Justice in Palestine did not go about their signature collection in a way that complies with USG’s bylaws.”?

According to the email, those who petitioned were informed on Feb. 23 that “the issue would not make it to the ballot.”

“Late last night, we received new information from USG indicating they reversed the decision, without proper communication or protocol,” the statement continued. “We have contacted administrators and community leaders, and students are actively working to push back on USG’s poor and unjust decision making.”?

Jewish student leaders who filed the official complaint alleged USG is required to include complainants in the full appeal process and must give them 24 hours’ notice to respond when an appeal is filed, which USG allegedly failed to do. The students also alleged that a hearing must be held for a ruling to be reached concerning procedural errors, which allegedly did not occur.?

According to the Judicial Panel’s standing rules, “Once a brief is filed, the Clerk of Courts shall provide a copy of the brief to the accused, or responding party and the Chief Justice within 24 hours of filing.”?

USG did not immediately respond for comment.?

This is a developing story and will be updated.