"Mateo Vallejo, a first-year master's student and representative in the GSA for the School of Social Work, drafted two resolutions for the assembly to consider: one condemning Texas SB 17, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Texas public institutions, and another against Texas SB 37, a state law that, among other changes, put faculty senates at public institutions under the control of university presidents and boards."
"On Oct. 10, GSA president David Spicer submitted the two resolutions to Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Christopher J. McCarthy for approval. According to the assembly bylaws, the dean of students' office must approve all proposed GSA legislation before it can be considered by the full assembly, effectively giving the office an opportunity to veto, Vallejo explained. Once a bill is submitted to the dean's office, the assembly cannot make any changes to the text."
""[Vice President for Legal Affairs] considers the legislation to be political speech that is not permitted to be issued by a sponsored student organization in their official capacity," McCarthy wrote in an email to Spicer, which Inside Higher Ed obtained. "This legislation should not be permitted to go forward.""
Mateo Vallejo drafted two GSA resolutions condemning Texas SB 17, which bans DEI initiatives, and SB 37, which placed faculty senates under presidential and board control. On Oct. 10 GSA president David Spicer submitted the resolutions to Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Christopher J. McCarthy for approval as required by assembly bylaws. The bylaws require the dean of students' office to approve proposed GSA legislation before full assembly consideration and prevent any changes once submitted, effectively granting veto authority to the office. McCarthy declined the resolutions, citing a legal determination that the legislation constituted prohibited political speech for a sponsored student organization in its official capacity. Spicer questioned why the GSA was barred from political speech when others at the university have expressed political views in official capacities.
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