A student recently filed an official complaint accusing the Emerald of libel, but a student government official dismissed the grievance Tuesday because it is not within the ASUO’s jurisdiction to sanction the daily newspaper’s content.
Political science and history student Alexander Deley filed a complaint in response to an Emerald editorial that he said falsely portrayed the content of a guest commentary he wrote in April. He wrote in the grievance that the May 10 editorial “It’s time to evaluate the Senate’s performance” explicitly included libel, breaking state law and student government rules.
The editorial, which focused on the Student Senate, referenced a guest commentary Deley wrote that said an Emerald reporter was
a sensationalist. Deley said he wrote the commentary in response to coverage of the ASUO Executive.
“I didn’t say a damn thing about Senate,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
Deley’s commentary included three paragraphs about the Emerald’s coverage of Student Senator Dallas Brown.
ASUO Programs Administrator David Goward, who oversees all groups that receive student fees, ruled that the student government cannot sanction the Emerald for content because it is not within the rules of the newspaper’s contract with the ASUO.
Goward said in an interview Wednesday that the contract deals strictly with publication and distribution because those services are paid for with student fees.
Deley can appeal the grievance, but he said he would not take further action, either through an appeal or any other means at this time.
This year, student-paid fees make up 13 percent of the Emerald’s budget, or $125,000.