The Student Association Senate rejected the nomination of SA Sen. Kate Carpenter, U-at-Large, to serve as executive vice president for the remainder of the body’s term at its meeting Monday.

SA President Brandon Hill selected Carpenter, who is also a Hatchet photographer, to fill the vacant position after he ascended to the presidency last month. After members of the senate posed several questions to Carpenter and held an almost hourlong private executive session to discuss her selection, Carpenter did not receive the required two-thirds majority vote to be confirmed, gathering about 55 percent of the vote.

Hill said in his opening remarks that he was aware that some senators began to “whip votes” and make “backdoor deals” to block Carpenter’s nomination before she had her time to present her case for the EVP position, which he said was “disgusting.”

“I am frankly ashamed that my senators – the senators that I supported, encouraged and motivated – would not have the decency to hear her out,” Hill said. “We must do better.”

Hill said he selected Carpenter over three other applicants after evaluating each candidate’s letter of interest through a point system based on criteria like SA experience, ability to lead the senate and bylaw knowledge. After creating a pro-con list and discussing the candidates with two members of the executive branch, one legislative leader and Acting Executive Vice President Thomas Falcigno, Hill said Carpenter “came out on top in every single scenario.”

“I am fully confident in her abilities to run senate meetings, as well as her knowledge of bylaws, the constitution and Robert’s Rules,” Hill said. “Through her experience within and outside the SA, Senator Carpenter has proven herself to be a leader and fit to serve as EVP.”

Carpenter presented a roughly two-minute opening statement, noting her service on the governance and nominations committee last year and as the current chairperson for the student life committee. She said she has contributed to several pieces of legislation and meetings with administrators during her two years serving in the senate.

She added that she was confident in her ability to lead as the EVP and in working in a “collaborative relationship” with Hill.

Carpenter said she is a “woman and a survivor,” marking her nomination an “important moment” for representation of the GW community.

Her nomination followed former SA President Howard Brookins’ resignation late last month after allegations of sexual misconduct and creating a toxic work environment arose against him.

“I am here seeking the position of executive vice president to promote that acceptance, to promote that transparency and to get the job done,” Carpenter said. “We should elect someone who the students are behind and feel comfortable with. And I have proven that in my position as senator at-large.”

Following her statement and a few questions, senators moved into an executive session – a meeting just between the senators that is closed to the public.

After returning to vote, Carpenter received 15 votes in her favor, falling three short of the total she needed to secure the position. Twelve senators voted against her nomination while nine abstained from the vote. There were 37 senators in attendance at the meeting, but Carpenter needed 18 votes in her favor due to the abstentions.

Falcigno, the acting executive vice president, said Hill must nominate a new choice for executive vice president before the next senate meeting in two weeks.

Senate Chief of Staff Zachary Nosanchuk, a former Hatchet opinions writer, said the senate “learned about transparency and miscommunication” during the meeting. He said members of the senate should not be “emailing people behind each other’s backs” or having phone calls discussing members of the senate.

“A lot of the things that we were talking about for this meeting, as senate chief of staff, I was fully unaware of prior to 24 hours prior to this session because of secretive backdoor conversations,” he said. “And that’s not something we are going to be doing coming forward.”

SA Sen. Derek Lo, U-at-Large, said he was “disappointed” in the actions that transpired at the meeting. He said after watching past senate meetings and seeing the “ups and downs” of the body, he hoped he wouldn’t see disagreements on “principles and morals.”

“I am seriously contemplating resigning, because I do not feel we are advocating for the causes that I want to,” Lo said.

Hill, the SA president, added that the body removed five cabinet positions from the SA executive branch – the directors of Mount Vernon affairs, food experience, school spirit and pride, digital policy and innovation and survey design. He said four new director positions were created in the body dedicated to racial and ethnic justice, internal affairs, COVID-19 recovery, international student engagement and physical planning and accessibility.

Senators also unanimously voted to appoint seven senators to the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students and ten SA members to Faculty Senate committees.