Just hours before the ASUO Constitution Court was scheduled to hear a grievance filed by senior Justin Sibley against ASUO executives Nilda Brooklyn and Joy Nair, the trio resolved to settle the matter out-of-court.
Sibley, a former ASUO controller, filed the grievance to impeach Brooklyn and Nair from office on charges that they fired him unfairly in October. The hearing was scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday.
But Monday afternoon, a representative for Sibley approached Nair with the idea of a resolution, Brooklyn said. Brooklyn and Nair, the ASUO president and vice president, discussed the resolution with Sibley and his representative before coming to an agreement, she said.
“I think all four of us agreed that it was the best solution,” Brooklyn said.
The resolution consists of three parts, she said. Both sides agreed to binding arbitration with a neutral third party to decide whether Sibley’s termination was appropriate and what action will be taken to resolve the dispute.
Brooklyn and Nair will also write a public letter to Sibley apologizing for the way in which he was fired, although not for the termination itself, Brooklyn said. They will also draw up a policy that clearly outlines the process for ASUO executives to terminate a member of their staff.
Sibley said the resolution is “not all that I wanted, but I’ll take it for now.” He said he decided to ask for a resolution because Brooklyn and Nair could not provide documents he asked to see to aid in his preparation for the trial.
Last week, the Constitution Court ordered both parties to release applicable evidence to the opposing party. But as of Monday, all Brooklyn and Nair had given Sibley was a page and a half of notes that were of little importance to the case, he said.
“I could have taken care of business tonight at the (Constitution) Court,” he said, “but I think all that would have happened is that they would have been thoroughly embarrassed, and nothing would have come of it.”
Arbitration between Sibley, Brooklyn and Nair will take place during winter term. A date has not yet been set.
Kara Cogswell is a student activities reporter
for the Oregon Daily Emerald. She can be reached
at [email protected].