Former SSFC member 'proud' of decision to take action after Nominations Board wins in court

Following deliberation, the Student Judiciary has voted in favor of the Nominations Board in the case issued by Sophia Alzaidi, a former SSFC member, after she was not selected to be on the current session committee.

All counts issued by Alzaidi — not having proper standing rules and procedures, viewpoint neutrality was compromised, not remaining impartial during the interviewing process — were denied.

“The Nominations Board is pleased to be cleared of all wrongdoing,” Nominations Board Chair Adam Fearing said. “The Board and I are committed to conducting nominations in a fair, impartial and nondiscriminatory manner, and having the Student Judiciary affirm our process as such is reassuring.”

On May 5, the day the nominations were approved, Alzaidi announced her decision to pursue legal action on the grounds of discrimination during a period where the Nominations Board has no legally binding rules and procedures.

Although she did not win the case, Alzaidi knew what she was up against when she decided to appeal. She fought back and forwarded her concerns to the Student Judiciary to the “best of her ability.”

“I was entering a space I knew was white and mostly male, so as a woman of color, I knew the odds were against me,” Alzaidi said. “I’m still proud of the attention I brought to the issue, but until all of the issues within ASM are fully resolved, I didn’t really stand a chance.”

Although the official rules did not exist, the board “was operating within its capacity to fulfill its duties” at the time of interviewing.

“I think the decision that was made here is further justification of the fact that ASM is not a welcoming or just space for marginalized students,” Alzaidi said. “This system, as are most institutional systems, are designed to disadvantage marginalized groups.”

Regarding concerns of discrimination, the Student Judiciary was unable to find any “exterior evidence to suggest partiality,” thus unable to make a judgement on her claims.

Alzaidi stated that her identity as an LGBTQ+ member and person of color were made obvious during the selection process, but the board contended that it would have been discriminatory to assume any identities of their candidates while interviewing.

At the time of the hearing, Fearing encouraged Alzaidi to apply for a position and announced his efforts to develop a more cohesive interview process.

“I will continue to work with Student Council to resolve the bylaw conflict that caused this case to arise,” Fearing said.