Student Senator Rhyan Goodman resigns before impeachment trial

By: Madeline Harden and Emily Crebs

Student Senator Rhyan Goodman received an email on March 20 that the Senate Judicial Panel would be conducting an impeachment trial for allegedly coordinating an effort to remove former Treasurer Simar Kalkat from her position. 

The trial was scheduled to take place the following Tuesday, March 22. At 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning, Goodman sent in his resignation letter from the Ohio University Student Senate, according to email records obtained by The New Political. The trial never took place. 

“I knew he was not going to go through the trial,” Kalkat said. “I think the 12:01 is a little bit sketchy. I think it’s very funny how he thought he was gonna get away with all of this until he got the impeachment trial email.”

Goodman’s charges for impeachment included the coordinated effort to remove Kalkat from her position through meetings with former Academic Affairs Commissioner Dylan Demonte and Senator Chandler Jent, and encouraging “Senators to accuse Kalkat of intimidation,” according to the email notifying Goodman of the trial.

Goodman also was charged with making false and/or misleading statements to the judicial panel. 

Kalkat was removed from her position in an executive session meeting Feb. 16 after an anonymous letter — later confirmed by The New Political to be written by Goodman —- was read aloud. The letter detailed false allegations against Kalkat. Kalkat’s removal was voided by Senate upon finding the session’s meeting to be conducted improperly.

After Kalkat alleged during a Student Senate meeting Feb. 23 that Goodman, Jent and Demonte coordinated to remove her, Goodman told The New Political in an interview he was not in the room when the executive session meeting to remove Kalkat occurred. 

However, Senate President Becky “Eliza” Ivan confirmed that Goodman had sent a proxy to the meeting. Goodman’s proxy voted on his behalf, so Goodman instructed the proxy to vote to remove Kalkat from the treasurer position. 

“I do want to say that I truly apologize for everything that’s happened to (Kalkat) and I think it’s atrocious all the things that have been said about her and focused toward her,” Goodman told The New Political on Feb. 23. 

Goodman also told The New Political that he did not know why the efforts to remove Kalkat transpired or who initiated them, and whoever was responsible should be removed from Senate.

Goodman is still running against State Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) for the Ohio House District 94 seat, and according to Kalkat and Ivan, still in the running for Student Trustee, as well as recently receiving a student leadership award.

Ivan and Kalkat both said they were disappointed in Ohio U staff and administrators’ lack of involvement in resolving the false claims and proceeding investigations. 

“Why am I handling a case of libel and defamation?” Ivan said, adding that as a student, she doesn’t have the power to create punitive actions against Goodman while the university does. 

Ivan and Kalkat suggested Goodman could have his leadership award taken away and be removed from the student trustee list. 

Ivan said that while Kalkat was found innocent, Goodman’s guilt was not disproven, and yet Kalkat received much more media coverage of the false claims than Goodman’s. 

“It’s going to be attached to Simar online, digitally, forever. But she was innocent. And he’s getting nothing,” Ivan said.

Goodman did not respond to requests for comment and has not given The New Political comment since the Feb. 23 meeting. 

Izzy Keller contributed to this report