Associated Students Judicial Council Chair Jeanne Sabin was forced to resign from her appointed position last week after being faced with a controversial ultimatum from A.S. permanent staff, prompting the creation of an ad hoc committee to outline and defend the rights of student employees.

Sabin has been employed as the minute-taker for A.S. Legislative Council for three consecutive years and served on Judicial Council last year before being appointed as the group’s Chair by A.S. President Harrison Weber. Under the direction of A.S. Executive Director Marisela Marquez, A.S. Associate Director for Special Projects Denise Rinaldi offered Sabin the choice of either stepping down from her position as Chair or being fired as the minute-taker, citing a conflict of interest.

However, Sabin’s clerical role prohibits her from participating in the proceedings of Legislative Council and the A.S. Legal Code contains no language barring students from serving as both student employees — such as minute-takers — and appointed or elected positions.

While the Executive Director’s responsibilities include hiring and terminating student employees, permanent staff members may not interfere with appointments made by Executive Officers and are not bound by the Legal Code but act in accordance with their own employment contracts. According to On-Campus Rep Jonathan Abboud, student employees have no such contracts; as such, he aims to formalize a Bill of Rights for student employees as head of the ad hoc committee, which plans to hold its first meeting next week.

See the full story online and in tomorrow’s edition of the Daily Nexus.

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