Two underage Student Government officers were charged last week with alcohol-related violations, the most dire of which was DUI.
One was arrested near The Retreat and charged with DUI, and the other was charged with social hosting, a violation of university alcohol policies.
Ali Mathe and Tom McKissock, SG’s president and vice president, decided along with three faculty advisors that the two officers will face probation until their Office of Student Conduct hearings.
“Because they have not been found responsible by the university, it’s not our job or our place to determine their responsibility, so we will not be pursuing the impeachment process at this time,” said Mathe.
However, she noted that their probation terms include their loss of executive board voting rights and the possibility of impeachment if they do not adhere to their duties as outlined by SG’s constitution.
Ryan Kearns, SG’s vice president of finance, was charged Oct. 18 with social hosting, according to reliable sources.
The university defines the charge as “hosting underage consumption of alcohol” in a residence hall.
Around midnight that morning, Bradley Whittier, Student Government’s director of public relations, was arrested with a reported blood-alcohol level more than eight times the legal limit for drivers under 21, according to Tampa police.
Because he is under 21, a guilty verdict would mean his license would likely be suspended for a minimum of six months, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
He could also face up to six months in jail.
Though the legal limit in Florida is .08, Florida law prohibits persons under the age of 21 from having a breath-alcohol or blood-alcohol level of .02 or higher.
According to Tampa police, Whittier’s two tests averaged out to a level of .171, placing him at more than twice the legal limit for people of age and over eight times the limit for drivers under 21.
At Tuesday’s Student Government meeting, Whittier delivered a tearful apology that was met with applause from the audience.
Kearns also took the opportunity to apologize.
The new social hosting policies mean that, if found responsible, Kearns is likely to have his campus housing terminated and be placed on “pending suspension” status with the university.
Mathe said that both Kearns and Whittier have been very receptive to the terms of their probation.