Student Body President Hungate issues statement of response, protestors continue sit-in

Protests will continue outside the Student Government Association’s offices at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

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Paige Hungate will not step down from her role as Wichita State Student Body President, she said in a public statement released on the Student Government Association’s Facebook page.

“There is a perceived conflict of interest in me continuing within my role and my involvement in the ongoing investigation into Thursday’s incident, I was in no way involved in the alleged incident, but due to my parents’ involvement, cannot speak on it due to legal concerns,” she said in the statement.

“That will not inhibit me from addressing the concerns of racial discrimination and hatred that have validly been raised in response,” she said. “We are not divided — we are united.”

Hungate said the steps for the requested diversity training for Hungate and her cabinet have been met, and will take place sometime within the next two weeks.

She has said she will host monthly town halls starting in the fall semester. Hungate added that she supports black students who often go “unnoticed” or are “underrepresented.”

“Black lives matter. Period,” she said. “Black students bring countless great things to this institution.”

Hungate said earlier in the day that she will not sign the list of demands presented to her by the student protestors. The protestors countered by saying they would call for Hungate’s resignation otherwise.

“I know that I can achieve the things students need and demand of me,” Hungate says. “We will not let these concerns continually be swept under the rug. Thursday is a regrettable occurrence, inarguably, but it will hopefully act as a catalyst, a catalyst for real change.”

Protestors have planned to continue their sit-in outside the Student Government Association’s offices until the Rhatigan Student Center, a private facility, closes at 11 p.m. They are planning to resume their protest when the facility opens again at 7 a.m. Thursday morning.