Immediately after they took attendance, the Student Assembly listened last night to the treasurer's report from Dom LaValle '99, who finished his statements by declaring that he would remain treasurer until he felt a constitutional decision about his future had been made.
Only after four other committees had delivered their reports did Vice President Chris Swift '98 announce that LaValle had been removed from his post by the Assembly's executive committee by a two-thirds vote of the executive committee's quorum.
Swift said the Assembly's parliamentarian, Simone Swink '98, has been charged with making a decision about the constitutionality of the removal by Friday afternoon.
Swink will make a decision on ambiguous portions of the Assembly's constitution about whether two-thirds of the executive committee must vote in favor of a removal of an executive member, such as the treasurer, or whether two-thirds of the voting quorum has to support it.
During Swift's presentation, Case Dorkey '99, who resigned from the Assembly two weeks ago, tried to bring a parliamentary inquiry to the floor, but Assembly President Jon Heavey '97 did not recognize him.
Assembly member Scott Jacobs '99 then conferred with Dorkey and brought a parliamentary inquiry to the floor. Jacobs asked about the constitutionality of assuming that Swift's presentation of the decision was constitutional.
Swink answered that she would not answer the question at that time.
After the completion of committee reports, Dorkey spoke first in the meeting's open forum and asked Swink for a ruling on "whether Dom is still the treasurer."
Swink said, "I'm not supporting either side of the argument right now."
At 10:35 p.m., while communications chair Dave Parker '00 was asking about how the Assembly's remaining money for the year would be spent, Swink left the meeting.
Jacobs then said , "This is ridiculous," about the presentation of LaValle's removal while there was still a constitutional question.
LaValle then said that until his removal is constitutionally validated, he will consider it "a random decision."
Heavey then said the "matter has not been declared to be unconstitutional." He added that the only way to challenge the removal's authenticity last night would be to impeach Swift.
Parker and Manisha Shah '99, chair of the student organizations committee, then asked that members not let this matter taint their views of the Assembly.
LaValle said "it's just unfortunate ... that a little bit more tact had not been used" in the presentation of his removal before Friday.
Much of the end of open forum consisted of applause for the work that Heavey, Swift and the other executives had done in the past year.
"Currently, we have no treasurer," Heavey said after the meeting. "Constitutionally we are not required to have one."
The executive committee votes on removals of executives if the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee presents a recommendation that they remove one.
Swift said the grounds for LaValle's removal "are confidential."
Last week, LaValle addressed the Assembly and admitted to "drinking before the meeting" and apologized for using the term "colored."
