During the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Oct. 18, SGA President Marquis Govan made a statement addressing allegations made by former Vice President of International Affairs Nikolay Remizov.
On Oct. 11, Remizov formally resigned from his position of Vice President of International Affairs claiming that President Govan had allegedly threatened impeachment if Remizov did not resign temporarily. Remizov is now calling for the impeachment of President Govan over the ultimatum he received.
At the start of the meeting, Govan apologized for the actions that took place in the last week.
“I will not be dishonest, I was very angry. I was angry about being construed as an antisemitic, I was angry about a member who was seeking to create conflict between two very vulnerable populations at a time that they were hurting,” Govan said. “When I had our meeting, I approached it, with my social work pedagogical framework, and that means I came to that meeting with a sense of empowerment.”
Govan denied telling Remizov that he threatened impeachment or expulsion of the former vice president.
He then reiterated that he had been wrongfully accused due to the anger he expressed during the one-on-one meeting with Remizov.
“In this particular situation, I want to say something and I want to be very clear about it. It is okay to be angry at decisions that are painful in a certain type of way about an individual, it is okay to feel indignant, but it is never okay to construe the narrative that Black men are somehow aggressive or threatening for a movement that is the definition of anti-Black racism, and I do not wish to be the victim of it,” Govan said.
In response to the Israel-Palestine war, President Govan offered his condolences to students affected on campus.
He said he has been in conversations with the Jewish Student Association (JSA) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA), and is working to find a way to support students during these times.
“At this time, there are many members on our campus who are suffering, I’ve had conversations with many folks, as far as the nature of the geopolitical issue facing many of them and how many of their family members are put in harm’s way or how they may feel unsafe on campus and I cannot see,” Govan said. “I cannot say that I have not been touched by those who have made it clear to me that this situation is changing their very life.”
Lastly, President Govan stated that he forgives Remizov for the situation.
“Through the application of the Christian love ethic here is what I believe that I did in our conversation, going in with radical grace, and still to this day because of their [Remizov’s] youth and because of how young they [Remizov] are, I forgive even though I believe his construction of events to be the furthest from the truth and with a sense of veracity,” Govan said.
The allegations made by Remizov and the call for the impeachment of President Govan are still under investigation by the Internal Affairs Committee at this time.