ISSUES: President of Duke College Republicans Forced Out After Fellow Students Discover He's Gay

Justin Robinette, the Chairman of the College Republicans at Duke University, was impeached last week for “conduct unbecoming of a person in a position of leadership” according to the Daily Tarheel.

The paper reports: "Carter Boyle, the new chairman of the chapter, said Robinette disrespected members of the board, deliberately ignored members of UNC’s College Republicans, did not attend events and used the organization’s funds for personal use."

Robinette, however, says he was forced out because fellow students found out he was gay.
Said Robinette: “Comments were made directly to me and my executive board before and after the meeting concerning my sexual orientation, calling me a supporter of the faggot center, calling me ironic, calling me disgusting."

The Daily Tarheel adds:
"Cliff Satell, former vice-chairman of the university’s College Republicans and president of the Duke Conservative Union, said he attended the meeting as a neutral observer. He said both sides were at fault, but he was appalled at the way the impeachment was carried out. 'There was no debate, no opportunity for rebuttal,' Satell said. 'It was clear back room deal-making had been done.' Although several members of the organization’s executive board knew Robinette was gay, executive director Samuel Tasher found out only the weekend before the meeting took place, Satell and Robinette said. 'The fact that it went from a few people knowing to a lot of people knowing was a catalyst to his impeachment,' Satell said. 'If he wasn’t gay, he would still be chairman.' Boyle, the new chairman, said Robinette’s sexuality wasn’t linked to the impeachment. Boyle said Robinette used the chapter’s funds to buy Polo shirts and wrote them off as incidental purchases in February. 'He threatened to eliminate us from the board,' Boyle said. 'He treated us like second-class people.'”

Said Satell to the Duke Chronicle: “It was premeditated. It was set in stone before anything happened. These people, all of them, voted three weeks ago to re-elect Justin. And during the three weeks where it was discovered that he is gay... the next meeting that was held... he is impeached.”