ASG senator resigns prior to impeachment trial

Associate Student Government (ASG) Senator Worley Stidham resigned from his position on Monday, March 18, in light of his potential impeachment at today's senate session.

Prior to Stidham's resignation, ASG's Oversight Committee announced via email that it prepared to present articles for his impeachment on the grounds that the senator's absences from senate meetings and his required office hours constituted a failure to fill the duties of the office.

Stidham was absent from seven senate meetings since the beginning of the academic year and failed to send an alternate in his place for four of those meetings.

ASG gives points to senators who do not fulfill their duties. Senators receive three points for missing a senate session without sending an alternate and every missed office hour block is another point. The Oversight Committee estimated that Stidham had received 25 points throughout the academic year.

At the end of the fall semester, the committee offered Stidham the opportunity to reduce his points through volunteering to staff a table in Armstrong, an ASG initiative to be more available to its constituents.

"Tabling allows senators to become more active in their community," Speaker Pro Tempore Ben Mitsch said. "It upsets any points that they may have garnered by not being active in the community. We think that's a fair way for senators to be accountable."

Stidham did not staff the table, and his absences continued into the spring semester.

Stidham was called to testify in front of the Oversight Committee March 12, when he explained that theatre rehearsals and other personal reasons had prevented him from attending meetings and office hours. Stidham also told the committee he would be absent from the majority of senate meetings and activities for the remainder of the semester.

"It was essentially just for personal health and academic reasons. I was definitely not keeping up with attendance," Stidham said. "As a voting member there were never any situations where my vote in particular seemed to matter, and as a result, it just wasn't the most logical option for me to continue."

Senate received the articles of impeachment Monday afternoon. An hour later, Stidham sent in his resignation.

"It was clear that senate was not a priority [for Stidham] and that he had other commitments that were more important to him," Mitsch said.

glynnee@miamioh.edu