Last night, the University Judiciary Committee discussed and voted to decide whether to cosponsor a resolution that shows support for a fully inclusive non-discrimination policy at the University. The measure also encourages the Board of Visitors, Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress to pass legislative protections "against discrimination in local, state, and federal employment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression." The resolution was presented to UJC by Queer & Allied Activism President Seth Kaye, who sponsored the bill before Student Council last week in his capacity as Engineering School representative.
The proposed cosponsorship triggered a spirited debate at last night's meeting. The substance of the resolution was not called into question - each member seemed more than comfortable with the idea of extending non-discrimination policies. UJC Chair Will Bane said he thought the intent of the bill was relatively non-controversial. But whether it was UJC's role to endorse an outside resolution was questioned by a number of judges.
Last week, this editorial praised Kaye's proposal and advocated for the Board of Visitors to follow through with Council's recommendations. As of last Wednesday, 62 organizations on Grounds had lent their support to the resolution. It is encouraging to see such a large portion of the student body rally behind this effort to expand equal opportunity.
By a vote of 11-4, UJC chose not the endorse the resolution last night. Although no members appeared to oppose the text of the bill, many thought it would be inappropriate for the body to put its name behind the resolution. "We want to maintain complete impartiality in every case that we try," Vice-Chair for Sanctions John Zettler said. "We're not supporting people who commit a hate crime. We're supporting a fair and unbiased trial."
By presenting the bill to UJC, Kaye spurred a worthwhile discussion about the topic. Nevertheless, UJC's decision not to endorse the measure was the correct one, if not the most popular. Although the bill serves a valuable purpose and its recommendations are admirable, it still takes a position on what is inherently a political issue. That fact should not - and did not - preclude Council and a number of other student groups from supporting the resolution, but it does complicate matters considerably for UJC.
Although the University shuns attempts to draw parallels between its student judicial bodies and other court systems, UJC and the Honor Committee generally do behave like any independent judiciary. Their primary functions are to try cases based on established guidelines, not to influence the University's administrative channels, even for a noble cause. Although both bodies are concerned with matters of justice and equity, they are charged with applying these standards to individual instances when students run afoul of the rules. Council, on the other hand, as a representative group that acts as a liaison between students and administrators, is best-suited to address problems of injustice in an aggregate sense. As a practical matter, it also is simply more productive for UJC and the Honor Committee to dedicate their time to improving trial processes and building awareness in the University community about the judicial component of student self-governance.
Ultimately, Kaye's resolution should fare perfectly well without UJC as a cosponsor. If nothing else, last night's debate gave judges the opportunity to mull over and discuss openly what role their organization should have at the University. That is a conversation worth having, even for a body whose purpose and duties are for the most part clearly defined.
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