At least six student organizations filed appeals Aug. 28 and 29 after receiving what they say are unsatisfactory block seating placements for home games in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Two complaints contested their placements because an outdated version of SGA’s Code of Laws was posted on the student government’s website.
Separately, two senators for the School of Law — Tristin Lollar and Brady McCormick — raised concerns that the whole block seating process was invalid, as the Code of Laws, which serves as the organization’s bylaws, was never updated to reflect changes to block seating passed in the 2024-25 school year.
“Not having it up to date has caused all kinds of confusion and problems among student organizations and just for the SGA in general,” Lollar said.
For years, the selection process relied on an organization’s participation in the DEI Passport program. As well, every organization that applied for block seating was required to give a presentation before the board of governors, with “diversity” being a considered factor.
However, after the state legislature passed Senate Bill 129 in March 2024, prohibiting state sponsorship of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, SGA replaced the DEI Passport with the analogous Capstone Wellness Explorer in the fall 2024 semester.
The organization designated this semester as the first where CWE participation would replace the DEI Passport in block seating applications. Additionally, “wellness” was to replace “diversity” in each organization’s presentation.
Since block seating is governed by the Code of Laws, the changes required amendments to the code through bills. Though these amendments were passed last session but not incorporated in the code, SGA used the new system.
Outdated code uploaded to website
Following the amendments, an incorrect, years-old version of the document that included an outdated block seating application process was uploaded to the SGA website during the spring 2025 semester. The actual code in effect when block seating selection for this semester occurred was from March 1, 2024. However, this version didn’t reflect recent amendments either.
According to opinions authored by Chief Justice Catherine Martin of the Student Judiciary, Chi Omega and the Master of Business Administration Association argued that since the wrong version was uploaded to the website, their organizations’ block seating placements should be reconsidered.
Chi Omega did not respond to requests for an interview. Jameson Hollis, president of the MBAA, said he could not meet or call for an interview, asking instead to respond to questions over email. After the questions were sent, he said his organization declined to comment, as it “did not have much to add.”
This section of the Code of Laws previously uploaded to the website in the spring 2025 semester contained outdated block seating application procedures, some of which are highlighted in red. The percentage breakdown used for 2025 block seating was 34% GPA, 33% organization interview, and 11% each for Tide Loyalty Points, Bama Pulse service hours, and CWE. Some text omitted.Though the code mandates that the most recent version be uploaded, the Student Judiciary, which holds confidential hearings, rejected the organizations’ argument in both opinions.
Martin wrote in the Chi Omega opinion that though the code states that an updated version must be uploaded to the website, it “nowhere declares that, if the website is not updated with the latest edition of the code, the student body is not bound by it,” adding that “quite the opposite is true.”
“Though probing into the dereliction of duty of the previous Webmaster or Attorney General who failed to update the website’s Code of Laws could give rise to judicial enforcement by the appropriate executive officers, the Code of Laws remains binding whether or not the website accurately reflects its current condition,” Martin wrote.
John Michael Chandash, SGA Vice President for Student Affairs who helps oversee block seating, declined an in-person interview, saying he could not meet for an interview in time for publication. In an email statement, he said he could not comment on Chi Omega’s or MBAA’s argument, because deliberation cannot be discussed outside the Student Judiciary, but added that he respected the court’s ruling.
Code not updated before block seating placements
The code was not updated prior to the block seating map being drawn, meaning the block seating scoring criteria followed by SGA were not reflected in the code.
Lollar said the fact that last session’s amendments were not codified was an “administrative failure.”
“It doesn’t matter that the bill was passed,” Lollar said, referencing the amendments. “If you didn’t put it in the Code of Laws, then the Code of Laws controlling is simply going to override any legislation you pass.”
McCormick, who is on the Senate rules committee with Lollar, shared his concerns, saying SGA violated the code that was in effect at the time.
“If we don’t go by the code, then we’re just, we’re doing whatever we want, and that’s not really right,” he said.
These sections of the March 1, 2024 Code of Laws, which was the one in effect during this year’s block seating applications, were intended to be revised to replace the DEI Passport with CWE and “diversity” with “wellness” in organization interviews. Highlighted in red are provisions that were not updated in the code prior to this year’s application process. Some text omitted.The code was updated prior to publication on Thursday to reflect last session’s amendments, though McCormick and Lollar say they believed that because the March 1, 2024 code was in effect at the time of block seating scoring process, SGA still violated the code.
“We apologize that the prior SGA administration did not update the Code of Laws to reflect SGA senate legislation passed after March of 2024,” Chandash said in an email statement, adding that because every organization was provided the same information regarding the scoring process, “no organization was at a disadvantage.”
Even without an updated code, he said that the replacement of the DEI Passport with CWE was “binding” because of SB 129, as state law supersedes SGA law. SB 129 outlaws state sponsorship of DEI programs but does not mandate what should replace them.
In an interview, Chloe Pickle, SGA’s attorney general, said the organization only realized its code was out of date after appeals were filed. The attorney general is responsible for updating the code after amendments are passed, but Pickle faulted the previous administration for not updating it.
Students cheer at a home football game. (CW / Elijah McWhorter)When asked to respond to McCormick’s and Lollar’s argument, Pickle and Chief of Staff Charlie Beth Pruett said that it was up to the Student Judiciary to decide whether the SGA erred in creating a block seating map using procedures not reflected in the code.
Martin did not respond to requests for an interview. Her opinion on Chi Omega’s appeal, however, cited a provision in the code that was only formally added when the code was updated Thursday.
“We did not break our own rules,” Pruett said. “We were just acting with what we thought the Code of Laws was. We didn’t realize that it had not been updated.”
Pickle said that no organizations who appealed did so on the grounds of the code itself being outdated.
“If they would like to resubmit an appeal on that basis, they are allowed to do so,” Pickle said.
McCormick said that he was happy the code was updated, but that moving forward, he wants to use his spot on the rules committee to ensure the code stays updated.
“I feel like that’s one of our biggest responsibilities, to make sure we’re abiding by those,” he said of the code. “That’s what this is all about for me.”
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