An ASG committee, chaired by ASG senator, Nathan Alonzo, investigated whether members of the MEChA club were in breach of the personal conduct policies Fresno City College when they allegedly used foul language during the Rally for Community Unity event on March 14. In accordance with ASG’s findings, MEChA must submit a letter of apology by a date still to be determined by ASG.
Alonzo said that if MEChA does not meet the deadline, ASG will “not allow the club to participate in any event for the rest of the semester.” If MEChA further refuses to corporate with the ASG ruling, they risk having their club un-chartered for the fall semester.
Clayton Richie, president of the CIT-0 club, had filed a report against MEChA at the weekly ASG meeting on March 29. Richie had asked ASG to endorse a letter of complaint against the MEChA club for what he perceived as inappropriate behavior at the Rally for Community Unity.
Although ASG members voted not to support the letter, they launched an investigatory committee to decide if MEChA was in breach of the personal conduct policies of the college. Subsection 11 pertains to “Disruptive behavior, willful disobedience, and the habitual profanity or vulgarity” whereas 15 restrains students from “Lewd indecent, or obscene conduct… at District sponsored events.”
Some supporters of MECha have made allegations that this investigation is intended to discouraging the candidates associated with MEChA from running for ASG office this month. Senator Alonzo discredited these claims.
“That’s probably inaccurate, and it’s unfortunate that those allegations would take place,” Alonzo said. “ASG is only acting on it because a student brought it up. It doesn’t have anything to do with ASG or any special interest that people might think have against anyone else.”
However, besides the issue of whether MEChA will appeal this ruling or not, there is the question of whether or not this investigation was illegitimately chartered because it was formed during the invalid administration of resigned President Daniel Gai.
This issue will be evolving in the coming days and weeks.
