UPDATED: March 31, 2013, 5:24 p.m.

Three Student Association cabinet officials could be disciplined for misconduct, raising the number of ongoing investigations within the organization to four.

“We definitely want to make sure all the people who are involved in this are accurately and adequately reprimanded,” said Parliamentarian Ben Jones, adding that he is unsure what form of additional disciplinary action might be taken. “We want everyone to be accountable.”

Jones was referring to Chief of Staff PJ Alampi and Cara Johnson, director of the Public Relations Committee. In addition to President Allie Curtis, both Alampi and Johnson were aware an individual who isn’t enrolled as a student, Colin Crowley, served as the organization’s public relations co-director and did not alert other cabinet members. Impeachment proceedings against Curtis are expected to begin Monday.

Ivan Rosales-Robles, chair of the Student Life Committee, will also be investigated by the Board of Elections and Membership for his role in alerting a Daily Orange editor to Crowley’s academic status. Rosales-Robles sent an anonymous email to the editor and Curtis, which linked to a screenshot of a website indicating Crowley was not enrolled as a student.

Cabinet members said Rosales-Robles admitted to sending the email in Thursday’s emergency cabinet meeting, and he intends on making a public apology. On Saturday, Rosales-Robles said he has taken a leave of absence from the Board of Elections and Membership so it can proceed with the investigation.

“Until any decision is made, I will continue as Chairman for the Committee on Student Life and lead my committee in their efforts to help students,” Rosales-Robles said in an email.

Chief of Staff Alampi acknowledged he is being investigated by the board and assumed responsibility for withholding Crowley’s status as a non-matriculated student from cabinet members.

Though he conceded he could have been more forceful in insisting Crowley step down, Alampi distanced himself from Curtis and said it was ultimately the president who permitted a non-matriculated student to continue serving in the organization. Alampi said he told Curtis on at least three occasions that Crowley needed to resign.

“I felt that I could fight her harder on the Colin situation,” Alampi said. “But when it comes down to it, it was her decision.”

Reached Saturday, Johnson said she hadn’t been notified about an investigation into her conduct.

Alampi, who plans on issuing a public apology when the general assembly convenes Monday, said he expects the board will impose sanctions on his conduct, though he doesn’t believe his actions merit impeachment.

“I was an adviser and I was aware and I take responsibility,” Alampi said of his role as chief of staff.

When Emily Ballard, chair of the Board of Elections and Membership, became aware of Crowley’s academic standing last week, she told Alampi and Curtis they needed to call for Crowley’s resignation. Instead of calling for his resignation, Curtis suggested Crowley transition into a new position as press secretary at a March 24 cabinet meeting. At that point, Ballard and Alampi said, they pulled Curtis from the executive meeting and informed her that transitioning Crowley would still violate university regulations. Ballard confirmed Alampi asked for Crowley’s resignation.

Entering the same March 24 cabinet meeting, Curtis said she was under the impression, after meeting with Ballard and Alampi, the three would ask Crowley to formally relinquish his role as public relations director and have him work in an informal role as press secretary. Under university guidelines, an organization can allow community members and non-students to serve as associate members who act as a liaison, if the organization’s constitution permits. Crowley had transferred his voting power and other administrative duties to Cara Johnson early in the semester.

Curtis wanted to put the position of press secretary to a vote, but she was told voting on the position would make it an official cabinet position, which is not permitted by university regulations. Curtis wasn’t aware of this and said this is likely from where the miscommunication stemmed.

The resolution requesting Curtis’ resignation, which was passed by a 7-2 cabinet vote, stated, “Curtis continuously misled this Cabinet and knowingly made false statements of her intentions in order to prevent that fact from becoming public, including but not limited to proposing a new office in this Cabinet.” Curtis denies having any ulterior motives for proposing the press secretary position.

Hours after Curtis was asked to resign Thursday, she asked the student body to bear in mind she did not act alone in allowing Crowley to continue serving on the cabinet. Curtis defended her decision and said she was acting in sensitivity to Crowley, as he was unable to enroll in classes due to finances.

“I believe I was very generous in doing so,” she said. “It may hurt me, but I’m going to stand by that.”

Vice President Duane Ford said he doesn’t believe anyone should be subject to impeachment, but if Curtis is impeached, other cabinet members should likewise be reprimanded.

“If you fully believe this is a necessary course of action, then it needs to be necessary for Allie, for PJ, for Cara and for Ivan,” Ford said. “Throughout all of this, I don’t believe anyone needs to go because I believe all of them do a great job.

“To cut some of our strongest members and to cut half of our cabinet is ridiculous to me,” Ford added.

Ballard, chair of the Board of Elections and Membership, said the only office that faces additional work in light of the investigations will be the board, whose duty is to look into any possible misconduct.

“In light of fairness,” Ballard said, “we are looking into anything that may need reprimanding equally and fairly.”

Published on March 30, 2013 at 11:26 pm

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong