Class of 2024 President Sarah Auletta and Treasurer Summer Prentiss were both impeached Wednesday due to “[ignoring] policies and bylaws brought forth by the Student Government. Without approval, [Class of 2024 Council] signed contracts and paid for events,” according to a statement from the Student Government Association (SGA) to the Voice. In the statement, SGA clarified that while they were impeached, senior week activities are not canceled or in jeopardy.
The official motion taken by SGA following the Wednesday Judicial Cabinet Advisory Board (JCAB) meeting in an email obtained by the Voice was to “strip both council members of their titles, and for all planned events to be continued by them as volunteers, administrators, or other volunteers, including the SGA President.”
Auletta and Prentiss were the only members of the Class Council following multiple resignations in October. In response to her removal, Auletta started a petition* for reinstatement, where she stated, “[Sarah Auletta and Summer Prentiss’] removal disrupts ongoing efforts and jeopardizes the success of future initiatives.”
In an interview with the Voice, Auletta stated, “I am not telling people [senior week] has been canceled.”
The Voice reached out to Auletta to clarify what she meant by “future initiatives” in the petition if she was not referring to senior week. In response, she stated, “it jeopardizes the success of these events because if I am not able to act in an official capacity (receive and hand out tickets from venues, continue to finalize menus, etc.), then the events may not be successful.”
On the petition, 19% of signatures appear to be forged by other students. Auletta was unaware of the potential forgeries until she spoke with The Voice in an interview Thursday evening.
“Due to the Class Council’s failure to submit budgets, the former SFO (Student Finance Officer) set aside $60,000 to ensure that the class council was able to host events. This is not the norm,” wrote SGA in their statement. “The SFO does not, and should not have to, set aside money for the class councils.”
“The class council took no ownership for their actions during the hearing,” SGA wrote, “They did not believe they deserved punishment for their actions because they are graduating.”
In a formal appeal, Auletta wrote, “we were informed that we could spend up to a net $60,000 [for senior week]…However, the calculation of available funds was not clarified, leading to confusion. Furthermore, the total Student Activity Fee (SAF) allocated for the senior class exceeds $60,000, which adds to the confusion regarding the budget limit.”
Auletta added that in the absence of the Student Financial Officer and a Treasurer, the Council faced challenges abiding by the Student Finance Bylaws regarding budget approval.
“Alternative approval processes involving Simmons administrators and staff were utilized,” said Auletta in the appeal. “While unconventional, these measures were necessary given the circumstances and were undertaken with the intent of ensuring proper event planning and execution.”
In an email from SGA to the Class Council obtained by the Voice, Student Affairs Officer Daniela Gil Veras believes an appeal is impossible due to the finality of JCAB decisions. Although not a traditional appeal, arguments can be made to JCAB at their next hearing on May 1.
“We acted under the advisement of various professional staff members at Simmons, including Katie Shea, Corey Zohlman, Jaime Liebowitz, and Rae-Anne Butera,” said Auletta in an interview with the Voice.
“As a student, I am not authorized to sign contracts or spend money from the SAF,” said Auletta. “And at the heart of this case, that is the allegation. So I would like to make it crystal clear that not only did I not do that, but I could not have done that as a student.” The Voice reached out to Communications Director Laura Wareck, who did not respond in time for publication.
Auletta added that her impeachment was “excessive and completely out of proportion of the proposed offense.”
This is a developing story. If updates arise we will add them to this article and update our social media accordingly.
*Multiple Simmons students have been adding names to the petition—including the Voice’s Editor-in-Chief, Olivia Ray. This was done without Ray’s consent, and her name has been removed from the petition. In response, Ray was not involved in the writing or editing process of this article. If your name has been added to the petition without your consent, please contact the Voice.
