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Chair of CUNY University Student Senate Impeached

Lauren Fasano, the chairperson the CUNY University Student Senate (USS), was impeached over the summer, but administrative officials overseeing the process prohibited a final vote on her removal on the basis of a technicality.

Members of the USS Steering Committee charged Fasano, a student at City College, with unauthorized spending. She was accused of authorizing expenditures of $14,000 for CUNY-Family Day, whereas the chair's position only allows for expenditures of $3,500 without prior approval. On June 20th, a vote of "no confidence" was passed against Fasano, and her resignation was requested, which she refused. A vote of impeachment was then passed; both votes were by 4-3 margins.

A vote of all USS members was set for July 31st on whether Fasano should receive a trial on the Articles of Impeachment, but only six of the 27 senators were in attendance because of the summer break. USS senators claim that that day an agreement was reached with the Student Affairs Office to allow for absentee voting on the Articles of Impeachment. However, University Assistant Dean Harry Franklin said that after consulting the legal experts at the Office of General Counsel, the next day Student Affairs declared that the vote had to take place in person.

Fasano's term ends on October 25th, but she remains eligible to run for the same office again.

Despite repeated attempts, The Advocate was not able to contact Fasano for comment.