A former member of the Simon Fraser Student Society executive has told the Georgia Straight that he is part of a group examining the possibility of impeaching the student-society president, Shawn Hunsdale, and other directors.

Former SFSS internal-relations officer Kevin Tilley said there is a “lot of dissent” concerning the society's recent decision to fire long-time staff member Hattie Aitken. Last week, the Straight reported that Aitken's union, CUPE Local 5396, is challenging the dismissal. Former SFSS president Clement Apaak said at the time that Aitken was part of the group that brought in a contentious graduate-students' health plan.

Tilley said that Hunsdale and others could only be impeached at a “general meeting” of at least 500 members of the society. When asked if people are trying to organize such a meeting, Tilley replied, “One of them, admittedly, is me.” He added that a new group has formed, called Students for a Democratic University, which is working on this issue.

SFU graduate students in the English and math departments recently voted in favour of motions of nonconfidence in the SFSS board. Tilley, who will soon move to Toronto to attend law school at Osgoode Hall, said that graduate students “are very angry and are organizing themselves actively to possibly separate themselves from the student society and create their own student society” .

Hunsdale, a former Green party federal candidate, told the Straight that the firing followed an internal investigation, which was launched “in response to some concerns” . He would not disclose the nature of the probe but added that the society's legal counsel has advised him that it would have been “negligent” not to have taken action.

Tilley said it appears that the firing is connected to SFU graduate students' decision last year to negotiate a health plan with Gallivan and Associates, which was approved by the SFSS executive. “That broker was in direct competition with a health plan that was run by the Canadian Federation of Students,” Tilley claimed. “So at the time, this was a very politically hot topic. There were some people that have very strong loyalties to the Canadian Federation of Students, and they would have liked to have seen that plan approved rather than Gallivan. So those same people who opposed that plan are now in power at the board of directors.”

Hunsdale wouldn't comment directly on Tilley's claim about Gallivan and Associates. “While the investigation is an internal investigation of the operations of the society, it would be inappropriate to comment as to a connection to this particular third party due to the link that there appears to be,” Hunsdale said.

A July, 31, 2006, editorial in the SFU paper the Peak stated that Hunsdale “stridently opposed” the contract with Gallivan and Associates.