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C of C student body president is spared impeachment
Posted: 09.14.2011 at 8:17 AM
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Ross Kressel, the College of Charleston's student body president, has survived an impeachment vote that was called because of comments he made on Twitter.  / College of Charleston
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WACH, WCIV) -- The College of Charleston's student body president has survived an impeachment vote that was called because of comments he made on Twitter.

The Student Government Association voted 15 to 14 on Tuesday to impeach Ross Kressel for his remarks. Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote. The vote came after a two-hour discussion.

"I am strongly against it. It is very wrong, especially in a southern school. What I would like to see is the past be put in the past," said William Campbell, a senior at the College of Charleston.

Campbell was one of many students in support of Student Body President Ross Kressel. However, there were just as many students in favor of Kressel's impeachment.

"The issue isn't that he's a good person.  I just hugged him and told him I loved him and forgave him. It's not about him as a person. What it's about is whether he did his job. And, he didn't," said Luca Gattoni-Celli, also a senior at College of Charleston.

Kressel used his private Twitter account to send messages which contained comments that were offensive to women, blacks, gays and his colleagues. The account, @CoCPolitoco has since been shut down.

Read more
C of C student body president facing impeachment for offensive tweets

"There have been far worse things that have happened in society. And, this barely scratches the surface," said Campbell.

"If this had been a CEO of any company, in any context, in any capacity…there wouldn't have been a question. The question would have been how quickly can we get his stuff out of our building," said Gattoni-Celli.

Kressel, a 21-year-old from Marietta, Ga., says he's learned that he shouldn't post anything that would upset his mother.

While the association rejected impeachment, members did vote 25-4 in favor of a no-confidence resolution on Kressel's leadership.

Kressel says he's been embarrassed by the controversy.

Do you think Kressel should have been impeached for tweets he calls private?  Leave a comment below to weigh in.

(WCIV and The Associated Press contributed to this report.) 

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