Student body president faces impeachment for saying gays and lesbians must be 'born again'

The University of North Alabama's student government is threatening to remove its new president for saying gays and lesbians must be "born again."

Jake Statom has already apologized for his short-lived Instagram Story, posted during LGBTQ+ Pride Month, but his colleagues warned that he will face impeachment proceedings if he does not resign. 

The university has defended Statom's "right to freedom of speech, even when it is offensive to others," citing a recent Supreme Court ruling on student speech, but has not stated whether it will halt impeachment proceedings or overturn his removal.

Letting the impeachment process play out could prove costly for the public university. Florida State University paid nearly $100,000 this spring to settle a lawsuit stemming from its refusal to overturn the student government's removal of its Senate president, Jack Denton, for sharing Catholic beliefs in a private group chat.

Other than potential litigation, UNA has to worry about blowback from state lawmakers. The Alabama House Republican Caucus issued a resolution Tuesday, posted on Yellowhammer News, "strongly oppos[ing] any effort to impeach, remove, or apply political pressure intended to force" Statom to resign.

It denounced "the dangerous 'Cancel Culture' atmosphere that predominates on college campuses" and seeks to "punish those who continue to adhere to traditional values, especially those rooted in fundamental religious teachings." House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter, the top caucus official, did not respond to queries about what actions he wants UNA to take.

The Student Government Association (SGA) gave Statom until June 30 to resign, or else "the formal impeachment process will begin at our first meeting of the fall semester" Aug. 26, according to a campuswide message posted by WHNT. 

Statom rejected the demand in a message to the SGA that cites his constitutional rights, the news station reported Tuesday night. He said the student government has "a unique opportunity to be an example to others on how people with differing beliefs can and should work together."

Statom did not reply to a Facebook message seeking an interview, and he restricts comments on his Instagram profile. The SGA does not post contact information for officers, and the Office of Student Engagement, which oversees SGA, didn't respond to a query.