By Jackson Chadwick | Photo courtesy of SGA | This article was updated to include new information and additional context on Tuesday, Oct. 20th, 2020.
During Thursday, October 15th’s SGA meeting, Senators Cecilia Gonzalez and Sabrina Liu denounced fellow Senator Mo Zaidan for speaking “poorly of his peers,” making “inflammatory” remarks against SGA diversity training, and decrying the elected student body upon which he served. Their comments were echoed by many of SGA’s attending Senators.
As of Monday morning, Zaidan informed the Voice that he had resigned from SGA. A source also informed the Voice that Senator Jenna Zampitella resigned from her position. The Voice confirmed her resignation late Monday morning, after being notified by Vice President Lukas Phipps.
Zaidan resigned after hearing word that SGA was going to impeach him, something he was first notified about on Thursday, October 15th — just hours following the SGA meeting. Zampitella resigned in protest to how Zaidan was treated by fellow SGA members, noting that she could no longer be a part of the organization.
Gonzalez and Liu’s initial comments were concerning remarks made by Zaidan on the “Straight, No Chaser Podcast” on Youtube. Within the fifth minute of the podcast, Zaidan said:
“‘they [SGA] say we gotta do diversity training which I thought was the most absurd, unnecessary, and most . . . it’s so unnecessary, let’s just be honest. Half the students in there aren’t white. [A] bunch of students are gay. Like do we need [it?] . . . and most of its [SGA’s members are] women so I don’t know how much of this is really necessary, but that’s beside the point.’”
He also referred to SGA members as “leftist ideologues.” Zaidan defended himself in the open forum section of the SGA meeting, saying he would “stick by” comments he made on the podcast and had no regrets speaking on a third-party platform, separate from the SGA body. He noted to the Voice that he has a constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression just like all other Americans, and he was exercising that right in the podcast.
During the SGA’s contentious meeting, Senator Xin Yi Yap rebutted claims made by Zaidan, arguing that his comments may have triggered some Suffolk students, particularly students who are women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and/or minorities; Senator Marissa Kearney said his comments were “rooted in disrespect.” Senator Ana Luiza Bernardes concurred with Kearney’s comments.
Senator Stephen Rykola expressed that similar to Zaidan, he is also a Republican, but how he (Rykola) does not bring his personal political views into SGA meetings, noting that it is not an ideological or political body. President Karine Kanj reminded all attendees that SGA is not a political association nor is affiliated with any political association. Kanj later remarked:
“Do not badmouth this association, and do not go on third party platforms and say that we [SGA] are doing nothing.”
Kanj expressed how the SGA has been working hard to accommodate student needs in coordination with Suffolk administration during “difficult times.” Being a woman herself, Kanj said she “almost cried” listening to Zaidan’s remarks. She then continued by saying:
“When anyone is speaking, you let them finish . . . this isn’t [about] politics, this is pure respect . . . if you’re not here for the students, then make your way out of SGA . . . ”
Both Kanj, Vice President Lukas Phipps, and Senator Kostas Loukos urged Senators to continue to follow the formal parliamentary procedure that had been previously disregarded.
After more debate, Gonzalez said she was “offended, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community” and as a woman by Zaidan’s comments, but offered her hand in partnership to work with him on pressing issues. Zaidan insisted that he didn’t say “anything [offensive] about women” or the queer community.
In an interview with the Voice, Zaidan remarked how his comment regarding women and LGBTQ+ people in SGA was not meant to be offensive, but rather, to just simply state that “a majority of people in SGA are either women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and/or minorities.” For that reason, he says, diversity training isn’t necessary, and how more than a “hundred studies have shown it is ineffective.”
He also responded to several Senators’ comments implying that he was mocking the use of personal pronouns. Zaidan told the Voice that during the podcast, he was trying to remember the correct pronouns for the person leading the diversity training — he “wasn’t trying to be offensive” at all:
“They [some SGA senators] tried saying I was condescending and rude, but I clarified my comments about using the correct pronouns.”
He continued the conversation by saying “if I did hurt people with my comments, I genuinely am sorry,” and that it was never his intention to do so. He then concluded by expressing his “extreme disappointment” in SGA:
“Karine mentions that she was interrupted by me, but I was attacked. I was muted several times by either the President or Vice President. It goes to show you that the tolerance they speak so highly of was disregarded. There are some really good, wonderful people in the SGA. I know they’re working hard right now. I do believe that. There are really good people looking for some change . . . I’m rooting for them, as our school’s dependent on them at some level. This is a moment of reflection for the SGA.”