Juana Garcia/The Cougar
Last Wednesday, the Student Government Association addressed an impeachment trial against Sen. Jesus Nieto during a summer session meeting.
The trial had been underway for two weeks prior to his removal, which was prompted by the development of a new bill censure.
Chair of internal affairs Savannah Bivens and Speaker of the Senate Sebastian Ballesteros made the decision to remove him from the position, said Nieto.
“For my branch to run effectively and smoothly, removing you from my senate leadership is the only viable option,” Ballesteros said in an email to Nieto. “Good character and professionalism are of utmost importance in every instance in SGA, and after having a first-hand account in my senate leadership meeting, there was a complete lack of both of those.”
Nieto received the notice of his removal via email, but he contends that the decision is both incorrect and illegal.
“This action was taken in a manner that I believe to be both unconstitutional and illegal, representing an overreach of their authority within the SGA Senate,” Nieto said. “The primary reason for my removal appears to be my dissenting opinion, which they are attempting to silence.”
Nieto claimed that a resolution to censure him was being prepared but was reconsidered due to his birthday.
The proposed SGA Resolution of Censure, if passed, would impose various penalties, including removal from chair positions, committee assignments or reduced speaking time at SGA meetings.
“It can range from removal of chair position, committee assignments, university committees and less speaking time at SGA meetings,” Nieto said. “That is what an SGA Resolution of Censure can do to a sitting member in the SGA senate and is in the bylaws of the SGA.”
Sen. Mohib Awan expressed concerns that Nieto’s growing influence in the organization, through biased candidate selection and favoritism, has compromised the transparency of the organization.
“Mr. Nieto has increasingly pushed his personal political agenda within our organization, particularly by influencing the selection of candidates and favoring those with personal connections to him. His actions have hindered the transparent and communicative environment necessary for our organization to thrive,” Awan said in a statement.
Along with his efforts to contest the removal legally, previous SGA members showed support for Nieto and highlighted his achievements for students within the UH System.
Sen. Sahar El-Hoderi praised Nieto’s contributions, noting his active participation and reasonable debates within the SGA.
“The number of times that he corrected some of the shortcomings that arise within SGA, which is very normal, I really appreciate his participation always in discussions and having reasonable debates.” El-Hoderi said.
Sen. Jordan Jones highlighted Nieto’s six years of service and his contributions to social work committees, including those related to child care.
“The point is, Sen. Nieto was wrongfully removed from his position, or at least attempted to be wrongfully removed in an email,” Sen. Jones said. “That’s not how we go about things.”
Nieto, who served as the Senator for Graduate Students at Large and headed the Graduate Professional Committee and Student Affairs Committee, expressed hope for restoring faith in student government.
“I sincerely hope that this assault on silencing student representatives ceases immediately to restore faith in our student government,” Sen. Nieto said.
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“SGA impeachment controversy: Sen. Nieto denounces removal” was originally posted on The Cougar