Despite past indiscretions, the Dean of Students office has approved all Student Senate candidates for this year’s elections, but one candidate dropped off the ballot after his disorderly conduct violation surfaced.
Eric Holley, yOU’s former treasurer candidate, dropped out of the race Wednesday afternoon after a ticket for disorderly conduct relating to an intoxicated walk home Feb. 28 came to light.
Holley, along with all of the other senate candidates, had been approved for candidacy by the Dean of Students office.
In order for a candidate to be disqualified, students must commit an A-level offense, such as disorderly conduct, and not finish their probationary periods, Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said.
Holley said all of his charges have since been dropped and that he is negotiating with the university.
“I have learned quite a lesson from this whole situation and am extremely sorry for my actions and how they have possibly affected others,” Holley said in an email.
The yOU ticket has two additional candidates who have records with Athens Police; however, none of the senate candidates has been disqualified.
“I thought (Holley’s resignation) was very professional,” said Tony Koehling, yOU’s presidential candidate. “He would’ve been good for Student Senate. Everyone has something in the past.”
Koehling is unsure who will replace Holley because he is working out the rules and regulations, he said.
REACH also might have one candidate who was charged with underage consumption. Athens County Municipal Court has record of a Carter Phillips with an underage consumption charge. The REACH ticket has a Carter Phillips running for East Green senator, but it is unclear whether the two are one and the same.
“We’ve all been young once; we all make mistakes,” REACH’s presidential candidate Zach George said. “I think he’s well paid the price. We’ve all been there, done that.”
Jared Henderson, an independent candidate, also has been charged with disorderly conduct.
Henderson, a junior studying philosophy, was charged with disorderly conduct with possession of marijuana on Nov. 22, 2010, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct in a plea agreement, according to court documents.
The marijuana was not Henderson’s nor was he the only person in the room, he said.
“I think that was unfairly blamed on me,” he said.
Henderson was fined $104 — a lesser charge than the original $150, according to court documents. He also completed all the university’s requirements, he added.
“Since that happened, there have been no other incidents,” Henderson said. “I’ve become a much more active and engaged student on this campus.”
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