On the eve of the initial allocations meeting, Student Association Sen. Anthony Marenna, CCAS-U, filed a lawsuit in Student Court challenging his senate suspension and demanding that Tuesday night’s allocations meeting be put on hold until the Court could hear his case.
Executive Vice President Jason Lifton and Sen. Erik Ashida, the named defendants, announced Tuesday that they will plead no contest to Marenna’s complaint, and allow Marenna to participate in the allocations meeting in order to ensure that student organizations receive their operating budgets as scheduled.
Marenna – who was suspended Friday along with Sen. Brandon Feldman, SoB-U, after they missed three consecutive Academic Affairs Committee meetings – alleges that Ashida, CCAS-U, held an unconstitutional committee-elect meeting on April 21, 2009. The complaint also alleges that Ashida failed to give proper three-day notification of another missed meeting.
The complaint included a request for an emergency injunction from the court to prevent Tuesday’s allocations meeting from taking place.
Lifton said he believes that Marenna should remain suspended, but said that one student’s behavior should not keep the entire student body from receiving funding from the SA.
“Delaying allocations is not an option in my mind, so in the interest of every member of the student body, I will not let him hold up allocating money,” Lifton said.
Ashida echoed Lifton’s sentiments, and said he stands by his original decision to suspend Marenna.
“Participation is essential in an advocacy committee like Academic Affairs. In his complaint, he’s not protesting the fact that he was not present at those meetings. He is alleging that I called those meetings improperly,” Ashida said.
Marenna said that he would accept a no contest plea.
“I welcome this opportunity for the senate to move on and to put our full focus on the allocations meeting, which is exactly what the student body deserves,” Marenna said.
The SA allocations meeting is scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. in the Elliott School’s “State Room” in 1957 E Street.
