The continuing controversy over the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance has apparently gotten a Student Government Association officer at Clemson University impeached. According to the Clemson University student newspaper, The Tiger, Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President Jaren Stewart and other students did not stand during the pledge of allegiance during a meeting on Sept. 25, in solidarity with NFL players protesting police brutality and racial oppression.
As a result, members of the SGA conducted a secret ballot this past week and voted 40-18 to impeach Stewart. The articles of impeachment do not mention the pledge but rather make accusations of trespassing, theft, voyeurism and intimidation initiated by a white Student Senator named Miller Hoffman. Hoffman denied that the motion was motivated by Stewart’s pledge protest, or his race. Hoffman cited as motivation an April 2017 incident report sent to the university’s Office of Community and Ethical Standards (OCES) outlining three counts of alleged misconduct by Stewart during his time as a resident assistant.
The incident report can be seen below:
When Stewart and other students held their peaceful protest, he was quoted at the time by media outlet Anderson Independent Mail as stating: “The social exclusion and isolation is very real and very damaging to students here. We understand the motif that there’s a Clemson family — and it doesn’t include everyone.”
Soon afterward, he received backlash from other students and he responded by saying, “There were people who were vehemently against it. I was never made to feel comfortable in student government. Now I know who those people are.”
Stewart’s impeachment trial has yet to be scheduled and so far the university has not made a comment on his secret impeachment ballot.
