The UCSD administration nullified a May 22 judicial board hearing against The Koala, citing the board’s decision to admit media to the proceedings as a violation of the UCSD student conduct code.

According to an e-mail sent to The Koala and signed by Director of Student Policy and Judicial Affairs Nicholas S. Aguilar, the administration nullified the proceedings because the university contends that the public should not be permitted to attend judicial board hearings without the permission of all parties involved, as stated in sections 22.17.16.16a-b of the student conduct code.

Koala Editor in Chief George Liddle said he was worried about the university’s power to nullify the hearing.

“”Obviously, we’re pretty concerned,”” Liddle said. “”I was not aware that the university had the authority to declare the proceedings void at the drop of a hat. It makes us wonder why we should go through this again.””

Liddle contends that the unviersity’s decision to bypass the judicial board’s authority marginalizes the legitmacy of the proceedings.

“”It seems to me that if [the administration] doesn’t like what the presiding officer decides, they can just make the proceedings null and void.””

Phone calls made to Aguilar’s office were not returned by press time.

UCSD representative Cara A. Silbaugh left Wednesday’s proceedings after the administration’s motion was denied, saying that she had been instructed to not present the university’s case while nonparties were present.

The media’s presence, Silbaugh insisted, was a violation of students’ rights to privacy as stated in the student conduct code.

“”It seems to me that what is really going on is that they won’t stop until we’re found guilty,”” Liddle said. “”As long as the rules are out the window, they might as well just declare us guilty and get it over with.””

Parisa Baharian, the presiding member of the judicial board, upheld the board’s admission of media into the hearing when challenged by Silbaugh at Wednesday’s proceedings.

In a pre-hearing meeting May 20, the board made a decision effectively denying the administration’s decision to disallow media into the proceedings.

Aguilar is pushing to resume UCSD’s case against The Koala before the completion of spring quarter, the email stated, where the hearing will be closed to all nonparties, including the campus media.

[Editor’s note: Parisa Baharian is a senior staff writer for the Guardian.]