Fraternity Council President Tim Bryson and Vice President of Conduct Jonathan Withrow will be recommended for dismissal Monday, according to an email received by The Daily Gamecock.
Harris R. Courson, Fraternity Council Vice President of Programming, was contacted by four fraternity chapter presidents who are officially petitioning for the removal of Bryson and Withrow, saying that the two "have not lived up to the standards of [their] position." Courson then passed on that information to Bryson and Withrow, omitting the petitioners' names.
While the email went into no further detail about the reasoning behind the recommendation for dismissal, both Bryson and Withrow believe that the motion has its roots in their decision to suspend the recruitment of 13 fraternities for suspected alcohol violations.
Withrow, who made the overall decision to pause recruitment, reported receiving disapproving reactions from both presidents and advisors, even though fraternities were allowed to resume recruitment five days later.
"This is them being vindictive towards us, telling us, basically, 'we don't agree with what you did, so we're going to make you pay,'" he said.
Bryson had a similar reaction, but a different experience overall: "Over the last two weeks, there [have] been countless compliments and celebratory praise from chapter presidents, chapter advisors, and university faculty and staff for this act of self-governance and accountability," he wrote in an email. "Quite frankly, I am in shock that this impeachment process is being considered."
A vote of four chapter presidents is the minimum number necessary to begin a hearing, which is slated for Monday evening. Impeachment will require a two-thirds affirmative vote — in this case, 18 total votes — from chapter presidents, to be held the following week.
Bryson stands behind the decision to suspend recruitment.
"In light of a recent student death, hospitalizations, and other health and safety concerns, it is undoubtedly a privilege that IFC recruitment resumed after a five-day pause," he said. "Fraternity Council is a governing body that will always protect the health and safety of its members, potential new members, and community members in the best conduct."
Per Fraternity Council regulations, the names of the presidents bringing the case were kept confidential, and were not in the information received by The Daily Gamecock. They have not yet responded to The Daily Gamecock's request for comment.