(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
A resolution to impeach the president was introduced in the URB’s meeting agenda Thursday
BY EMMA G. SCHAIBLE, OPINION EDITOR
EDITOR’S NOTE (Nov. 6, 2025): A former Student Government member was mistakenly listed as a participant in the meeting.
Members of the first Undergraduate Representative Body voted 22-2 ,with 3 representatives abstaining, to impeach Student Body President Isaiah Grays yesterday.
This comes as four representatives resigned from Student Government in the last week alone. If two more members quit, the body will be unable to conduct business, according to sources.
The impeachment legislation was sponsored by Christian Collins, chair of the University Services Committee.
“The impeachment resolution against the president was not an easy decision. However, the amount of harmful conduct from him was unacceptable and unqualifying for the role of President,” said Collins in an email to Fourth Estate.
The meeting started with a motion to introduce R. #05, A Resolution to Impeach the Student Body President Isaiah Grays. The legislation was co-sponsored by 11 other representatives and endorsed by 22 members of the Mason community.
President Grays was accused of five charges in violation of Student Government’s governing documents.
The charges included corruption by attempted bribery of the Clerk, unprofessional and unethical conduct by forging signatures on a published document, “misconduct of severe violation of governing documents” by violating the expectation and duty to collaborate with members, neglect of duties by failure to attend scheduled leadership meetings and “failure to represent the student body and uphold official duties” by failing to uphold interests, values and welfare of Mason students — including defending diversity, equity and inclusion.
Summer Dooley, chair of Student Engagement and Support, opened with a statement discussing how she believed Grays stepped over her.
“[Grays] believed I was incapable of doing my job,” she said, referencing Grays’ alleged meeting with Patriots Activities Council President, Avery Shippen, to plan Gold Rush.
Grays allegedly said he wished to have a meeting “president to president” to justify the act.
Other chairpeople confirmed this situation in their own statements.
“We are fighting to represent students,” Dooley continued. “We can’t do it if we are being cut off.”
Many representatives who spoke during the conversation echoed similar ideas, feeling like no productive business could be conducted under President Grays. They said voting to pass this legislation is in the best interests of the student body.
Griffin Crouch, chair of Government and Community Relations, explained the legislation was introduced to spark a productive conversation: “What are the values and principles of this institution we have all decided to join?”
However, Crouch said the impeachment was justified because President Grays’ actions “distracted this organization from our mission.”
Additionally, Clerk Andrew Boese said President Grays threatened to deny him access to the Student Government website unless he helped to “kill the bill,” alluding to B. #12, A Bill to Amend the Code of Student Governance, which removed the Student Body President as a voting party in the Undergraduate Representative Body.
Bill 12 passed unanimously Oct. 2.
Executive Vice President Jonathan Dubois stayed mostly silent during the meeting.
“I’m not negating all the good that has been done by this administration,” he said, emphasizing the importance of being critical while also defending Grays’ work as president.
(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
Chief of Staff Dakota Atizol, Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations Zoe Oliver and Vice President for Outreach Alani Arnold took turns reading a unified statement outlining the problems they experienced while working under the leadership of President Grays.
Atizol, Oliver and Arnold joined Student Government with Grays because they had hope for what they could accomplish in the future.
“Our experience in Student Government has been very overwhelming and disappointing,” the joint statement read.
Members from the gallery, including concerned students and former members of Student Government, presented statements and asked President Grays and the other representatives questions about the proceedings.
“This is not about character,” said Andre Esteves regarding the movement to impeach Grays.
Members from the gallery spoke to President Grays’ upstanding character, both in class and other community events, but questioned his abilities as a leader.
“It is clear that the connection in the leadership is just not there,” said Summer Dooley.
“It shouldn’t take articles of impeachment and removal of position to take accountability,” said Clerk Boese.
Discussions continued, questioning if voting to remove President Grays would cross a line.
“I ran on the slogan “putting the ‘U’ back in GMU,” Grays said in defense of his actions when helping chairpeople run their committees and events.
(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)
“I hope you can all take this as a formal apology,” Grays said in closing.
The vote was conducted anonymously, with 22 representatives voting for impeachment, two voting against, and three abstaining.
“Members of the undergraduate representative body are taking these measures as a way of upholding the integrity, mission and core values that student government holds,” said Andre Esteves, chair of Academics, in a verbal statement to Fourth Estate after the vote.
The passage of R. #05 does not immediately remove President Grays from office.
The Elections and Disputes Committee will hear arguments and impose the justified punishment; however, the representatives voted to have Vice President Jonathan Dubois preside over the rest of the meeting.
EDITOR’S NOTE: News Editor Barrett R. Balzer contributed reporting to this article.
