Madison student court ends chair election fight

The Associated Students of Madison student judiciary dismissed the final legal challenge to the April chair election on Sept. 29. The decision closes a dispute that began months after Rep. Michael Harry lost the race for the 33rd session chair.

Harry filed his second brief on Sept. 22. In that document, he argued that the judiciary mishandled its previous order regarding his initial complaint. He also claimed that Chief Justice Chloe Sieman misapplied rules during the earlier proceedings.

The conflict originated in the April 24 election. Harry sent his first petitioner's brief to the student judiciary on April 30. On Sept. 14, he amended that filing to include new information and asked that alleged violators be barred from running for chair in future sessions.

A key procedural hurdle determined the outcome at the Sept. 16 student council meeting. Representatives voted on whether to adopt a special order to discuss Harry's first brief. The motion required a two-thirds majority to pass. While a majority of representatives voted in favor, the threshold was not met. Harry's second brief argued that this two-thirds requirement lacked precedent.

The dismissal notice revealed that a majority of student justices recused themselves from the decision. This group included Chief Justice Sieman, whose recusal Harry had specifically requested. Because so many members stepped back, the judiciary did not assign a full panel to review the case.

ASM Chair Haia Al Zein reacted to the outcome in a statement. "The Student Judiciary's decision gives me hope for the remainder of the 33rd session, and I hope it serves as an opportunity for us to work more collaboratively and move forward in greater unity," she said.

Sieman, Harry, and the student judiciary declined to provide further comment on the brief.