Senator Sami Tayeh has resigned after the ASUO Executive called for his removal because of what it described as “homophobic, racist and predatory behavior” at the United States Student Association’s Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 27-30.
A delegation of seven people from the University of Oregon flew to the conference on March 26, planning to stay at a USSA staff member’s house for the first night. According to the motion, that night Tayeh became intoxicated at a party and began using racist and homophobic slurs.
The motion also stated that the senator entered a room where a woman from another delegation had been asleep. He went into the bed she was in, resulting in an “inappropriate interaction” with the woman, and refused to leave even after repeated requests.
Tayeh said that he remembered nothing about his actions that night, but suggested he may have thought the room and bed he tried to enter were the ones in which he had been assigned to sleep earlier that day.
“As it was mentioned, I was not very conscious at the moment,” Tayeh said. He added that someone else had furnished the alcohol and that: “They were asking for trouble by doing that.”
The motion then said that when the owners of the property entered the room and asked him to leave, Tayeh exited the room. He passed out in another room in the middle of the floor, woke up and urinated on the host’s couches and furniture.
Tayeh attended the first day of the conference, but was asked by the UO delegation leader Gabe Gardiner and the USSA president to leave. He found another hotel room and stayed away, eventually flying back to Oregon without the group.
Internal Vice President Tran Dinh submitted the motion to censure Tayeh on the night of April 6.
According to the Green Tape Notebook, which details the rules of operation for the ASUO Senate would host a hearing at its next meeting to discuss removing the senator from office. However, when Tayeh resigned a half hour later, the meeting was no longer necessary.
Tayeh said he could not confirm or deny if the actions in the motion took place, but offered his “deepest apologies” in his resignation.
Dinh said that the representation of the university was a main concern in calling for Tayeh’s resignation. “We should hold people accountable for what they do,” said Dinh.
Tayeh held Senate Seat 15, for psychology and cultural studies. He was appointed to Senate in fall term.