The University Judiciary Committee voted unanimously last night to endorse a proposal that would increase sanctions against students convicted of hate-motivated violations of the Standards of Conduct.
The proposed change to the UJC constitution will now be voted on by the student body in the spring elections.
Should students approve the change, Article III, Section B of the UJC Constitution would add "Any violation of the University Standards of Conduct motivated by the age, color, disability, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation or veteran status of the victim will be deemed an aggravating circumstance, and will result in a more serious sanction up to, and including, expulsion from the University."
Before the Committee made its decision, community members were given the opportunity to voice their opinions.
"Hate crimes affect everyone. This is a serious matter because students don't feel safe," said Jessica Childress, a representative for the Black Student Alliance. "It is important that we have something institutionalized that decries hate crimes."
Childress also noted that it is important to scare students into not committing hate crimes.
Massie Payne, president of the Inter-Sorority Council, endorsed the proposal on behalf of all four Greek councils.
"This will increase the way people feel welcome at the University," Payne said.
Judge Kelly Booker supported having a specific sanction for a hate crime.
Judge Robert Mitchell supported the bill as well, but, he also pointed out that it can be difficult to specifically define a hate crime.
Senior Counsel Scott Jones suggested a minor change at the end of Article B to specify that the alleged aggravation must be submitted as evidence to ensure there would be no confusion should the case be appealed.
UJC Chair Tim Ormsby said the change makes sense but that it was never approved by the General Counsel's Office as legally defensible.
Engineering Rep. Pavan Gupta, chair of the committee that drafted the proposal, said the original proposal has been "six months in the making" and the proposed amendment could not be reviewed by the necessary officials in time for the Friday deadline for it to appear on the ballot.
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