New board needed: Violations of Student Code state law cannot continue

Cases now before the Student Supreme Court are textbook examples for why student government bodies need to operate in the open.

Juniors Ashley Klein and Matt Wohlford possible candidates for student body president were each fined $40 by the Board of Elections for campaign violations.

Neither student knew the Board of Elections was even conducting an investigation.

(According to the Student Code the chairman of the Board of Elections is required to notify the accused of the investigation within 24 hours after the commencement of investigation and no decision may be issued until the defendant has been given an opportunity to respond to the accusations.)

Further the Board of Elections made the decision to hand down the fines in a closed meeting.

The meeting was closed in clear violation of N.C. Open Meetings Law which establishes only a few specific reasons that governing bodies can operate behind closed doors.

Now as part of the evidence Wohlford needs for his supreme court case against the Board of Elections subpoenas have been issued for every member of the board to find out what exactly happened at that meeting.

Seems a little unnecessary.

If the board had only obeyed the law in the first place there would be no need for subpoenas.

This case start-to-finish demonstrates the Board of Election's lack of respect for either the Student Code or N.C. law. It's time for a new board.