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BGLTSA Vice Chair Impeached By Board

Amid reports of an internal power struggle and a controversy surrounding its recent board elections, the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Supporters Alliance (BGLTSA) voted Sunday night to impeach Vice Chair David A. Campbell '00.

Campbell disputes the impeachment and contends that he remains the group's vice chair.

"Given Dave Campbell's history on the board and interaction with it, we just set into motion a constitutional action," Co-Chair Andre K. Sulmers '99 said last night.

Co-Chair Lauralee Summer '98 said Campbell's goals "and the goals of the BGLTSA were just so different that it was really not appropriate for him to be on the board, and eight other people recognized that."

A dispute over the organization's recent executive board elections finally led to a call for Campbell's ouster, according to BGLTSA members.

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Some members questioned both the legitimacy of the process and the outcome of the elections. All those elected to next year's board were white males.

As vice chair, Campbell was in charge of administering the elections for four of the board's 10 seats.

Campbell said he compiled about 15 legitimate nominations for the open board positions.

"In my opinion, when I published the date when nominations are closed, I gave my word--that's election procedure," he said.

Campbell said he then contacted those nominated and asked them to confirm, via e-mail, that they wished to run for the slated positions.

"I gave them three days to respond as to whether or not they wanted to run," he said. "To my disappointment, very few people expressed interest in running for the positions."

Six of the 15 people Campbell contacted responded to his e-mail message expressing willingness to run for the board.

"The people that had agreed to run had won by default," he said.

In an e-mail message to BGLTSA's general membership announcing the results of the election, Campbell wrote that "it turned out that those interested in running for leadership positions were few in number."

Adam A. Sofen '01, a Crimson editor, was named co-chair; Campbell and Richard R. Williams '01 were named vice chairs; and Matthew S. Trent '00 was named treasurer. If the election results areupheld, their terms will begin next fall.

At the bottom of the e-mail message, Campbellwrote, "For the remainder of THIS semester,Geoffrey [B.] Mainland ['00] will hold theposition of vice chair along with me and Michael[T.] Tan ['01] will hold the position ofsecretary." Mainland and Tan were the othernominees who had expressed interest in serving onthe board.

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