The De Anza Associated Student Body voted against impeaching Keith Hubbard, vice president of environmental sustainability, at the Senate’s weekly meeting on Wednesday March 10. A compilation of grievances questioning Hubbard’s ethics, leadership abilities and loyalty to the Senate was presented by DASB Senators Wason Huynh, April Seo, Scarlett Kim, Omar Ali, Kahlid Ali and Yang Qiu. In addition to the aforementioned Senators, Jorj Cheko, vice president of diversity and events, Wayne Spalding, vice president of administration and Sharon Su, vice president of budget and finance signed a Bill of Particulars, calling for Hubbard’s removal from the Senate.

The bill accused Hubbard of violating Senate bylaws, excessive absences from his external committee’s meetings and sabotaging the Senate’s credibility through destructive behavior.

Students packed the Student Council chamber, filling it with more students than available chairs, many of who were there to support Hubbard as well as their respective programs.

Senator Wason Huynh revealed that multiple members of the senate had confided their frustrations with Hubbard’s overzealous attitude towards for the Environmental Sustainability committee, overworking many senators to the point of an emotional breakdown. Bobo Teo, executive Vice President, said she confided in Huynh in response to a silent senate. The point was refuted by a member of the audience, saying “We’re all adults. As senators, we elect you to make adult decisions, and in confrontational situations, when adults have problems, they find a solution together, not going behind backs and around issues.”

Hubbard’s supporters came armed with tools to protest his impeachment, including “Keithsicles” – a two-sided picture of Hubbard attached to a Popsicle stick – with the words “We Want Keith” written on the sides. “The dynamics were so overwhelmed by support. All the layers of grassroots organizing are some of the best ways to get points across, it was fantastic,” said Hubbard.

Students vocalized frustration with the impeachment trial.

“I’m disappointed they took all that time, when people are here to discuss the budget,” said ICC Chair of Programs Dhoreena Ventura.

Opposition to Hubbard’s impeachment rose from audience members as well, who questioned the merit of the bill’s terms, accusing the senators of being vague and deliberately attempting to find the flaws in Hubbard’s efforts as an executive vice president.

Marlo Custodio, student ambassador of the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement spoke in support of Hubbard, expressing his discontent with the Senate’s ambiguity, saying, “You’re shooting as many bullets as you can hoping to hit a target.”

Hubbard, in response to the allegations against him said “I’m guilty of being human, I do make mistakes and I do make errors and we have accountability,”

The final vote for Hubbard’s impeachment was 11 approvals to nine disapprovals, resulting in no action taken against him to pass. According to DASB bylaws, in order for an impeachment to pass, it must receive a two-thirds majority vote.

“I hope that students trying to discover themselves question if they’re living each day to their full capacity. It’s a big relief to experience the growth and development of the people and myself I’ve met throughout this term. People’s lives have been changed today,” said Hubbard, who remains the DASB Vice President of Environmental Sustainability.