Harassment allegations surface during SGA speaker of the senate deliberations
Senator John Kirk is sworn in as Speaker of the Senate on April 27, 2022.
Following accusations of harassment towards women by a fellow SGA senator, John Kirk, at-large senator, was elected the next speaker of the student senate at the April 27 SGA meeting.
At-large Senator Jacob Unruh shared the allegations during the debate portion of the meeting. He claimed that multiple women spoke to him about uncomfortable moments with Senator Kirk.
When The Sunflower asked him about the claims, Senator Kirk declined to comment.
Multiple senators spoke in Kirk’s defense after the allegations, most sharing positive experiences they had working with Kirk.
Senator Jay Thompson said that Kirk is a kind and compassionate person.
“He advocates for every person he meets, every underrepresented group that I’ve ever tried to work to create new systems for on campus; he’s always been a major supporter of that,” Thompson said.
After many senators shared concerns about lack of proof, Unruh said he did not feel comfortable sharing the evidence.
“Because the people in question … do not feel comfortable at this time making themselves not anonymous with this situation it would require putting those people out there and having their story to tell,” Unruh said. “I was merely reporting what I learned talking to my constituents, which is my job as a senator.”
Several senators spoke about the importance of these claims, and why it’s important to handle them in the proper way.
“I am an avid supporter of women’s rights to feel comfortable in every situation. Kirk has never made me feel uncomfortable in any situation,” Adriana Owens, at-large senator, said. “Going about these allegations in the right way is very important … So we can see these and make sure that they are handled properly.”
LAS Senator Victoria Owens said that while she was unsure about the allegations, she felt it was important to bring into consideration when selecting a speaker.
“There is obviously no proof to these allegations, however allegations like these should be handled seriously and not just brushed aside,” Owens said. “Something that we should all consider and take into heart that this is an issue and if we are questioning whether or not we can trust a senator … I’d like to make sure that our constituents are as safe as possible and we in this room feel as safe as possible.”
Kirk won 30 votes out of 35. Hunter Minette also ran for the speaker position.
The speaker of the senate serves as the presiding officer of the senate and head of the legislative branch and serves in the line of succession to the office of the presidency. The speaker also appoints senators, which is new to this session.
Julia Nightengale was a third-year reporter for The Sunflower, previously working as a Copy Editor and News Editor. Nightengale is a graduate student working...
Lindsay Smith is the former editor-in-chief and newsletter editor for The Sunflower. Smith was a journalism major at Wichita State with a minor in creative...
Nithin Reddy Nagapur was a photographer for The Sunflower. Nagapur graduated in Fall 2023.
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Shelby Parscale • May 11, 2022 at 7:34 pm
As a WSU Media Production and Journalism major, the former SGA Director of Media, and an active supporter of sexual assault/harassment victims, I am embarrassed by this article.
According to the Cornell Law School, linked below, defamation is defined as “a statement that injures a third party’s reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements).” The at-large senator shared these supposed allegations with no personal experience with Kirk or proof otherwise. The Sunflower, which serves “as the primary news source for Wichita State and the surrounding community,” shared these allegations and attached the now SGA speaker of the senate, with harassment claims that are complete hearsay.
These allegations are very serious. Senator Unruh continues on in his speech of negation by bringing up the age difference between Senator Kirk and the other women in the Senate, despite the fact that the Senate is made for the entire student body, regardless of age. Several women in leadership positions, as well as other male senators, spoke in favor of John Kirk with positive stories and personal encounters, but this article does not show the overwhelming support that 30 out of 35 senators have for this man.
As journalists, we must tell the whole story. There was one speech made in negation for Senator Kirk and over ____ made in affirmation. The discussion itself was _______. The article does not reflect this as it gives one quote from each side as well as two quotes about the importance and seriousness of the allegations.
The Sunflower failed to mention why Kirk was running for the speaker of the senate and his plans going further. After viewing the live stream, it is apparent that a majority of the senate negates the allegations made against Kirk.
The Sunflower, an organization that strives to be a student-run publication, must do better. Attaching a man’s name to these allegations is more than serious, and with no proof or evidence whatsoever, it is defamation, which is a serious legal matter.
The Sunflower failed to go any further into Kirk’s history with Student Government or the fact that he has been elected into several leadership positions previously. They also failed to mention Kirk’s history in Russia with working with victims of sexual assault/harassment/etc. To start the article introducing John Kirk with “following accusations of harassment towards women,” immediately paints a bad picture of the candidate.
In the next article that may possibly slander a student’s name, stop to think about the seriousness of the allegations and how you are sharing the news of these events.
As a student-run publication of future journalists that serves its students and community, you must provide more. People need to hear the history of the individual in the organization and reflect on the actual event, not your interpretations. There were far more words of affirmation than of dissent, and this article does not reflect that. I understand that sources may deny commenting, but as journalists, you must research further into what you are publishing as once it is posted, it never goes away.
Although the Sunflower failed to link the live stream from Student Government’s Youtube, I have linked it below. Please take the time to watch the live stream of the Senate meeting and form your own opinion on the issue. You will find the beginning of the process for electing the speaker of the senate at time code 00:26:34
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q4EV5YsczY
Congratulations to the 65th Session of Wichita State Student Government Association speaker of the senate, John Kirk. You have my full support.
Sources:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/defamation
https://thesunflower.com/about/
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V • Apr 30, 2022 at 12:58 am
What a ridiculous article to write. Someone expresses 100% hearsay with not a shred of proof and the Sunflower writes an article about it? Lazy, irresponsible journalism. This student didn’t deserve this. I hope these writers plan to have a career in something other than journalism.