Former Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) science councillor, Donnie Northrup, who resigned after last year’s Shinerama controversy, regained a spot on council as a Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) councillor.

Northrup, along with Graham Perrin and Heather Murley, last year’s Chief Electoral Officer for the CUSA elections, were acclaimed as FASS councillors by council at a June 25 CUSA meeting. All three seats remained vacant after the 2009 CUSA general election.

In December 2008, as a science councillor, Northrup put forward a motion to drop Carleton’s Shinerama fundraiser on the grounds that cystic fibrosis was not “inclusive” enough. His motion received national media attention and was described as racist, accusations that Northrup denied.

He resigned during an emergency CUSA meeting, as a self-proclaimed “maverick.”

Northrup did not run for any position during the 2009 election, and his return to council through acclamation has been met with criticism.

“There isn’t any way the students would have supported Donnie,” said Dean Tester, a former candidate for journalism councillor in the general election, who was present at the meeting.

CUSA president Erik Haliwell said Northrup’s actions last year and the circumstances of his departure have no bearing on his application for council this year.

“He is still a member of CUSA and has a right to fill out an application,” Haliwell said. For the three positions “there were only three applicants, and council decided not to stand in his way.”

Northrup could not be reached for comment.

Murley, one of the other acclaimed councillors, was also a FASS councillor last year.    

“Heather’s position as CEO means she has a huge conflict of interest,” Tester said. “She helped disqualify [presidential candidate] Bruce [Kyereh-Addo], and the people who benefited gave her a seat.”

Haliwell denied that there was any conflict of interest, as Murley “is no longer CEO” and nothing in the constitution prohibits her from taking a seat on council.

“She has a right to serve,” Haliwell said.