Editor’s note: Carter Strickland currently serves on the OU Daily Publications Board, which oversees OU Daily’s topline matters by establishing, implementing and monitoring editorial, fiscal, production and personnel policies. The Publications Board does not have any say in publishing matters and news coverage.
On Tuesday, the Undergraduate Student Congress voted to impeach OU Student Government Association President Carter Strickland on five impeachment charges. Strickland will now face a trial at the Graduate Student Senate presided by the chief justice.
“Impeachment basically means that Congress has agreed that these charges are public and that they’re trying to publicly hold you accountable for those things,” said Congress Chair Hope Rhoads, who presided over the meeting.
Rhoads said Strickland now stands an impeached president.
The Graduate Student Senate will meet at a later date — which has yet to be determined — to hold a trial to consider whether the charges will warrant Strickland’s removal from the position of president.
According to the SGA Constitution, the Undergraduate Student Congress has the sole power to bring impeachment charges against and vote to impeach the executive branch members, and the Graduate Student Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments.
The trial will be presided over by Chief Justice Claire Grace of the Superior Court.
If Strickland is removed, SGA Vice President Avery Dunlap will become president and recommend a candidate for vice president to Congress for consideration.
Five impeachment charges
• Created a hostile workplace environment while serving as SGA president.
• Failed to act in accordance with the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act and the SGA Code Annotated while serving as SGA president.
• Went against the chief justice’s advisement in electing members to search committees while serving as SGA president.
• Neglected his duties to the legislative branches while serving as SGA president.
• Hindered the duties and responsibilities of the chief of staff.
The Oklahoma Meetings Act is an Oklahoma state law that requires all meetings of public bodies — state, local boards and commissions — must be open to the public and the public must be given advance public notice of such meetings, including information on the time, place and purpose of the meeting.
All SGA meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act, per the SGA Code Annotated, and agendas and notices for special meetings must be posted at least 24 hours before a meeting.
The SGA Code Annotated is the governing laws of OU’s SGA and outlines rules, regulations and functions for each branch of the government, elections, finances and more.
Congress found all five charges to be impeachable offenses.
This story was edited by Peggy Dodd and Ana Barboza. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
