USUSA VP removed from office
Editor’s note: As of Dec. 4, Po’okela Yamakoshi-Sing was reinstated as the Logan vice president and placed on probation. For more coverage on this, visit usustatesman.com. This article was last updated on Nov. 12 at 11:20 a.m.
USUSA Executive Council member Po’okela Yamakoshi-Sing, who served as the Logan vice president, was removed from office on Nov. 5 after a public conduct trial regarding an incident on campus on Oct. 31. Yamakoshi-Sing appealed the decision, and this appeal is currently under review.
The trial took place at 10 a.m. in the TSC Maple Room under the direction of the USUSA Hearing Board, which consisted of students Amaya Strickland, Hal Searle, Jack DePouw, Miriam Smith and student chair Jarret Rupp. As part of his duties, Colin Hastings, USUSA student advocate vice president, served as the executive secretary to the board but was not present in the deliberation and could not vote in the ultimate decision.
A second public conduct trial regarding Ben Burdette, USUSA athletics and campus recreation executive director, will take place on Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. in the TSC Senate Chambers, rescheduled from the original Nov. 7 date.
According to Yamakoshi-Sing, prior to the trial, he requested an extension for the hearing and that two board members be removed due to a conflict of interest, but both requests were denied.
In an email to The Utah Statesman, Hastings explained why this was the case.
“Hearing Board bylaws state that a trial must take place within ten days of a complaint, and his extension exceeded that timeline, and his reasoning for the extension did not fall under extenuating circumstances,” Hastings wrote.
As for the two removals, all student body officers, including Yamakoshi-Sing, were part of the nomination, vetting and voting process for the hearing board, and each member passed unanimously. Neither member Yamakoshi-Sing requested to be removed felt they had a conflict of interest or chose to recuse themself.
“His request to remove both was looked into by myself and several members of the faculty, however we found no conflict of interest, and did not believe that his reasoning met the threshold for removal,” Hastings wrote.
Student Body President Brandon Sorensen served as the claimant on the case, presenting evidence of Yamakoshi-Sing’s conduct at the student event the Howl on Oct. 31. According to a police report, Yamakoshi-Sing arrived intoxicated to the Howl and provided misinformation to police officers when questioned about his identity and intoxicated state.
The trial started with a call to order and a presentation of evidence from the complainant and then the respondent Yamakoshi-Sing.
In Sorensen’s presentation, he distributed evidence via a GRAMA request of a Utah State University Police Department report from the Howl, which detailed police officers approaching Yamakoshi-Sing, determining his intoxication and questioning his identity, which he originally presented falsely.
According to Sorensen, Yamakoshi-Sing’s conduct broke both the USUSA Oath of Office, where officers promise to “uphold the Student Code and policies of Utah State University,” and the USU Student Code of Conduct, which identifies “use, possession, or distribution of alcoholic beverages (1) in an unlawful manner or (2) on campus or during a university program or activity, unless otherwise permitted by the University” as well as “making false statements, whether oral or written, to University officials or law enforcement officers or otherwise providing information or identification known to be false” as student misconduct.
According to the USUSA Constitution, “Any officer found to be in violation of their Oath of Office by the Hearing Board may be place on probation,” and “Any officer who fails to remain free from any active USU Student Code violations that result in a sanction of probation or higher will be removed from office immediately with no option to appeal.”
In his closing remarks, Sorensen asked the board to consider the evidence with fairness and empathy.
“I want to express my respect and the work our Logan vice president has done — for the time, effort and care he’s given to serving Utah State. None of this should be overlooked or dismissed,” Sorensen said. “At the same time, the foundation of leadership within us, USUSA and within the university community rests on accountability and consistency. Whatever outcome you determine, I trust it will both uphold compassion for the individual and integrity of USUSA as a whole.”
After Sorensen yielded his time, Yamakoshi-Sing was called to present his evidence to the board.
“I want to offer my sincerest apologies for my lapse in judgement,” Yamakoshi-Sing said. “I am here to take full responsibility.”
Yamakoshi-Sing admitted to the charges against him, clarifying his course of actions through the night and explaining his lie to the police officers about his identity derived from the fact that he didn’t want to represent USUSA in a negative light.
“Since the incident, I have immediately prioritized genuine self-reflection. I started by rebuilding what I broke in USUSA. I am working to understand the impact alcohol can have on professionalism,” Yamakoshi-Sing said. “It was an isolated mistake and does not reflect my core character. I believe in USUSA’s mission.”
Following Yamakoshi-Sing’s remarks, he called up two witnesses.
The first, a friend of Yamakoshi-Sing, accompanied him to the Howl and confirmed his timeline of events.
The second, a member of the Logan Vice President Committee, served as a character witness, stating “He cares a lot about the students at USU, and I can tell that he wants to make a difference, and he is making those actions to do that. I really appreciate him, and he inspires me in only positive ways.”
Following their remarks, the board went into a private deliberation, which lasted over an hour. When they returned after 12 p.m., Rupp announced the final verdict.
“Po’okela Yamakoshi-Sin violated the USUSA Constitution and failed to uphold Oath of Office and violated the Student Code of Conduct. As a hearing board, we have determined to remove Po Yamakoshi from his position as USUSA Logan vice president,” Rupp said.
In an official statement from USUSA public relations director Abby Murcray, it states, “USUSA expects all officers to follow the bylaws outlined in the USUSA constitution. We want to thank Yamakoshi-Sing for all he has done for the organization and all the time he has committed to USUSA and Utah State University as a whole.”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.