An impeachment movement has begun against the top two officers of the Associated Students of Riverside City College. 

Student government Advisor Megan Bottoms received Articles of Impeachment against President Myisha Jackson and Vice President Latiesha Wiliams on Oct. 28, “as of 12:48 today,” Bottoms said during ASRCC senate and executive cabinet meetings.

The Senate is set to vote on the impending impeachment at its Nov. 4 meeting.

Riverside Community College District Student Trustee Gabriel Graves initiated the call for impeachment in the articles of impeachment document that Viewpoints received from a source, who declined to be identified. 

These articles are brought forth to uphold democratic interests of the student body, grounded in erosion of student trust and institutional integrity as described in the articles of impeachment.

The ambience of the office of ASRCC changed once Jackson came into office, said Lillian Nelson-Phillips, Inter-club council chief of staff. 

“I’m here because I like being in ASRCC,” Philips said. “I was welcomed. I was heard. I was loved.” 

Multiple officers expressed that Jackson creates a strict and unpleasant work environment for ASRCC.

“It’s scary,” Phillps said. “It’s like having this scary and angry professor lurking over you. Waiting for you to slip up.” 

This action is subsequent to the Oct. 22 Viewpoints’ article reporting confusion within student government. 

Graves was elected as an ex-officio member and was sworn in by RCC’s Academic Senate on June 10. It is recorded that his goals are to represent students in the district. 

According to the articles of impeachment brought forth by Graves, leadership has been abusing their authority and breaching their fiduciary duties by failing to ensure transparent, equitable and timely execution of financial processes by delaying necessary fulfillment of student programs and fiscal oversight.

“With or without scrutiny from student journalists at RCC Viewpoints, our ASRCC cabinets must continue to function in full accordance with our established procedures, policies, and governance standards,” Jackson said in an email dated Oct. 24 to senate members, Bottoms and Viewpoints.

Additionally, they have failed to maintain transparency and compliance within standards required by the Brown Act and ASRCC bylaws creating a breakdown in inter-branch accountability.

“Everyone is violating the Brown Act,” Bottoms said to present members and that no student government business discussions are to take place outside of meetings. Group chats, conversations, or emails regarding official business all violate the Ralph M. Brown Act that shall not take place when not in session. She added that members of the public must be made aware of decisions they assemble and nothing can be done in secret.

The Brown Act enables public policy engagement for the purpose of accessibility, notice of meetings and the public’s right to participate.

If the executive officers are impeached, here would be the next steps:

• The senate is “to convene and determine the constitutionality of all Articles of Impeachment and whether to precede impeachment by a majority vote of its members present in the meeting in which the voting takes place” as outlined in the ASRCC Student Government constitution.
• If the senate determines proceedings, Chief Justice, Keyair White, will convene the student government supreme court to call to order a special meeting to conduct the trial. Justices will act as the jury and proceedings must be open to the public. Additionally, the agenda shall be posted 24 hours in advance and minutes must be available to the public after the trial takes place.

Bottoms will act as the chair of the senate during the regularly scheduled meeting to preside over the impeachment process.

Attempts to reach Jackson for comments about the impending impeachment were unsuccessful, however, Williams responded to Viewpoints as having no comment.