Content Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault.
The Student Government Association’s (SGA) Constitutional Council will hold a hearing procedure tomorrow for “Davis & Robuck v. Board.” This comes after former SGA presidential candidate Jayden Davis (25B) and his campaign manager Elijah Robuck (26C) filed an appeal on March 29 to adjudicate their claims against SGA President Abigail Dubinski (25B) and Vice President Pranay Mamileti (26C).
In an email to The Emory Wheel, Constitutional Council Chief Justice Kardelen Ergul (24C) wrote that the Council will announce its decision by April 9.
“The Constitutional Council wanted to learn more about the situation from the sides and is excited about the hearing,” Ergul wrote.
After losing the SGA presidential election to Dubinski on March 1, Davis’ campaign filed several accusations of election misconduct against the Dubinski-Mamileti campaign, including bribery, voter intimidation, fraud and harassment. However, the Elections Board decided to dismiss the Davis campaign’s allegations, largely due to a lack of substantial evidence. The Davis campaign alleged that the Board was biased in its decision, prompting them to file an appeal to the Constitutional Council.
Davis and Robuck wrote in the appeal that if the Constitutional Council finds that the Elections Board decided to ignore a “preponderance of evidence,” they should disqualify Dubinski and Mamileti. The Council could also call for a “rerun” of the election, Davis and Robuck wrote, noting that this would allow Davis and Dubinski “the opportunity to fairly and justly partake” in an election.
Dubinski wrote in an email to the Wheel that she was “shocked and disheartened” by Davis and Robuck’s allegations, calling them “baseless.”
“Jayden’s campaign is again attempting to block Pranay and me from working with the students and the administration to move Emory forward,” Dubinski wrote. “In Jayden’s and the team’s filings, the comments continue to be antisemitic, sexist and false. As I have repeatedly said, our Emory community should be better than this.”
In the appeal, Davis listed three claims against the Elections Board, alleging that the Board did not properly adjudicate his election allegations against the Dubinski-Mamileti campaign. Further, the appeal alleged that the Board had a “biased stance” during the SGA election cycle.
“The Hearing has also made it abundantly clear that the Elections Board, regardless of the waivers they may have signed, are biased towards certain individuals,” the appeal stated.
Board of Elections Chair Luxe Langmade (22Ox, 24C) declined to respond to the Wheel’s request for comment.
The appeal also condemned Dubinski’s campaign. In the introductory disclaimer, Davis and Robuck wrote that Dubinski “weaponized her Jewish identity” against Davis and his campaign team. Additionally, the appeal stated that there are “rumors regarding Abigail’s association with Islamophobic individuals.” However, Davis declined to name who the Islamophobic individuals are due to safety concerns.
Furthermore, the appeal stated that Dubinski’s “circle made it clear” that her team was behind “hostile” Fizz posts about Davis, with some reading “What are these Jayden Davis [sexual assault] charges I’m hearing about?” and “Jayden Davis would be beheaded first day he stepped foot in Palestine.” Fizz is a social media app where members of the Emory University community can anonymously post text, polls and photos.
SGA Attorney General Grace Lee (21Ox, 24C) wrote in her recommendation to the Constitutional Council that the group should not hear Davis and Robuck’s appeal, explaining that the pair did not include any new evidence in their filings. She further alleged that the Davis campaign’s claims lack “procedural and factual substances,” making a hearing unnecessary.
Lee added that the Elections Board was impartial and followed the Elections Code’s procedures throughout the student government election. In her recommendation, Lee wrote that SGA must have a smooth transition of power to ensure it can continue its operations and foster trust with Emory’s student body.
“They have worked tirelessly to safeguard all students involved in an exceptionally contentious election fraught with controversy, thereby mitigating any potential adverse effects on students and student groups, in addition to the enormous responsibility of holding a fair and impartial election,” Lee wrote.
However, Davis said he is happy that the Constitutional Council chose to take on his campaign’s appeal.
“The Constitutional Council has thus far done a very good job of making sure that everything they are doing is just and organized and plays by the book,” Davis said. “So I am hopeful that they will listen to all of our claims and interpret it as they see fit.”
Robuck agreed with this statement, saying he was unsure of what the outcome would be when he submitted the appeal.
“I am very impressed that the Constitutional Council [was] willing to be like, ‘Hey, I think this is something we need to hear and we really need to look into more,’” Robuck said.
If you or someone you know experienced sexual assault, you can access Emory’s Title IX resources at 404-727-0541 or https://equityandcompliance.emory.edu/title-ix/index.html and the Office of Respect at https://respect.emory.edu/ or their hotline 24/7 at (470) 270-5360. You can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault hotline 24/7 at (800) 656-4673 or https://hotline.rainn.org/online. You can reach the Atlanta Grady Rape Crisis Center crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 616-4861 or gradyrapecrisiscenter@gmh.edu and the Decatur Day League Sexual Assault Care and Prevention crisis hotline 24/7 at (404) 377-1428.
