Note: this is a breaking news situation; information will be added as received
NAITSA VP Internal Travis Luscombe has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, according to a statement released by NAITSA. The statement said that “Executive Council recognizes that the conduct that has been showcased does not align with the values and standards that NAITSA upholds.”
The announcement comes after two complaints were filed against Luscombe in the most recent NAITSA Executive Council Election—one for potential slate campaigning, and one for joining clubs while a campaigning, along with allegations of election misconduct. Both complaints were denied by the Chief Returning Officer and the Election Committee. The denial of the second complaint did come with a recommendation that NAITSA, “through its appropriate governing bodies, adds clarity to its election rules and perhaps its Bylaws around the issue of club membership while a member of Executive Council, and club endorsements during campaigns.”
The clubs complaint highlighted the Frequently Asked Questions in NAITSA’s candidate election nomination package, which stated in point 22 that stipulated that candidates cannot join any clubs on campus “due to the conflict of interest.”
Luscombe admitted to joining multiple clubs at the election committee, saying in an interview with the Nugget that he “overlooked” the FAQ in the election information package while campaigning. Luscombe explained that the FAQ sheet is to “act as an abbreviation of the bylaws and policies,” and he believes it was “an oversight on the Executive Council as a whole to not have the FAQ sheet properly reflecting what was in the bylaws.” NAITSA has since began the process to adjust bylaws revolving around EC membership in clubs; the first reading was approved at the March 20 NAITSA Senate meeting.
In an interview with the Nugget, Luscombe said his intentions were solely to get information. “I ended up joining the club because I felt that it was a great way for me to gain a deeper understanding of the different communities on campus.” He assured students that he had no ill intentions by joining a club.
“I know personally that I did not act with any interests other than what’s best for students in mind. And I know that my intentions behind this was never to create an appeared conflict of interest,” said Luscombe.
He did also mention a precedent being set, as he learned “pretty early on” in his term that President Saison was listed as a member of the Super Anime Club. Luscombe was not able to provide an exact date he learned the information. Saison told the Nugget that she “didn’t even realize that [she] still had those memberships.” She further added, “Those were like legacy memberships from before I was an Executive.” Saison had previously used the platform OrgSync (the previous version of Ooks Life). Both Saison and Luscombe agreed that the lack of clarity in the bylaws should be addressed.
“A lot of these issues have been best practices. But we are looking to actually codify them going forward, and so it’ll be a lot more clear in totality,” said Saison.
NAITSA’s statement assured students that “the decision to remove Mr. Luscombe from his role is in the best interest of our student body, and we are committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.” In the meantime, the remaining Executives will share the duties of the VP Internal role.
Luscombe was recently elected as NAITSA President for the 2024/2025 year, though it is unclear how this announcement may impact that position. The NAITSA Senate will “determine the next steps in accordance with the NAITSA Bylaws.” The next Senate meeting is on March 27 at 5 p.m. Senate meetings are streamed live virtually; students who wish to attend can leeannem@nait.ca.
