Maria Shaikh | Acting Editor-in-Chief

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as the story develops. In the event that Mercury management is unable to update the website, updates will continue on social media.

Student Affairs administrators refused to let SMOB convene to hear former Editor-in-Chief Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez’s appeal, in violation of Student Media bylaws.

Olivares appealed his termination to the Student Media Operating Board Sept. 17. According to the Student Media bylaws, Olivares’ appeal must first be heard and voted on by SMOB and escalated to Jenni Huffenberger, the senior director of marketing and student media, for a unilateral tiebreak if SMOB fails to reach a decision. Huffenberger’s response to Olivares’ appeal email said SMOB will not convene to hear the appeal and that she will handle it herself, contrary to the procedure outlined in the bylaws.

Later that day, Student Government President Devin Schwartz sent an email to all SMOB members offering to help arrange the SMOB meeting for Olivares’ appeal. Director of Student Media Lydia Lum responded to Schwartz’ email, saying she “respectfully [asks] everyone else disregard Devin’s email because there isn’t need for a meeting of the SMOB board for Gregorio’s appeal.”

Section 4.5(a) of the Student Media bylaws says that “the operating board shall serve as the first review of appealed operating decisions as are permitted under the various provisions of this chapter.”

Lum said the alternate route for Olivares’ appeal process came from Student Affairs and other UTD administrators. Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Fitch said in an email late in the day that proper appeal procedures are what Lum included in her Sept. 16 memo, which said Huffenberger, not SMOB, will oversee Olivares’ appeal.

Editor’s Note: For full transparency, The Mercury has decided to publish all the emails discussed in this news brief. See below for all relevant documents.