Duke College Republican Chairman Impeached for Being Gay?

Justin Robinette, a junior at Duke University, claims that he was impeached as chairman of the College Republicans last week because he is gay.

According to The Daily Tar Heel, the student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the official impeachment article and executive board members attribute the ouster to “conduct unbecoming of a person in a position of leadership,” including failing to attend events and using the group’s funds for personal use.

However, Robinette, while not denying what he calls “petty” charges, said they occurred before his unanimous reelection on March 16, less than one month before his abrupt impeachment last Wednesday.

“I walked into a contrived meeting at 9 P.M.,” Robinette told The Daily Tar Heel. “Sneaky amendments were passed, my comments were cut short and motions were made to move the impeachment forward.”

Cliff Satell, a former vice-chairman of the College Republicans and president of the Duke Conservative Union, said he was “appalled” at the way impeachment proceedings were handled without debate. While a few executive board members previously knew Robinette was gay, Satell believes the impeachment was prompted after many more learned about it earlier this month.