The Student Programming Association has appointed a new vice president after the student-elected vice president resigned under threats of impeachment.

SPA President Maggie Jones appointed Tatinisha Washington, nursing sophomore from Franklin, to the position Friday. Washington was the organization’s secretary. She replaced “The Nicholls Worth” Editor Brandon Keller, government senior from Vacherie, whom the student body elected in March.

A Sept. 24 Nicholls Worth article said Keller resigned after Jones decided to continue with the Lil’ Boosie concert without a finalized contract a month before Homecoming, which prevented SPA from publicizing the concert.

Jones said this is not the case, and the reason the concert was canceled “was due to time constraints that could have been avoided had [Keller] done his assigned duties.”

Keller said his only assigned duties were to book a disc jockey and order wristbands.

“I didn’t have anything to do with Boosie,” Keller said. “I have no idea why she would want to put the blame on me. She made it clear at one of the executive board meetings that she was taking over finding an artist after the entertainment chair resigned.”

Jones said the assigned duty Keller failed to fulfill was having KNSU help fund the concert. KNSU did not agree to provide funds for the concert.

KNSU adviser Lance Arnold said both Keller and Jones approached him, but the radio station decided not to fund the concert because it was to be on a Friday. He said he did not think the concert would be successful because students are not likely to go to campus on Friday evening. Also, he said he was not comfortable giving SPA the amount of money it wanted, $12,000, when KNSU would have no input in the concert planning.

Keller said he told Jones that Arnold had concerns and had not agreed, but Jones said he told her that KNSU was going to provide the funds.

Keller resigned when Jones asked for his resignation from the position in a Sept. 8 e-mail that said the SPA members would be “talking about impeaching [him] at the next meeting” if he chose not to resign.

However, the SPA executive board had already voted unanimously to impeach Keller at a Sept. 2 meeting, according to an SPA memo to the Student Supreme Court.

Jones said SPA decided to “put it on hold” because Keller had not been provided a written statement of charges within 24 hours of impeachment as per the SPA constitution, and the organization would move forward with impeachment plans at the Sept. 9 meeting once Keller had been notified. Though Keller was notified his impeachment would be on the Sept. 9 meeting agenda, he never received a statement of the charges against him.

Keller said he was not notified that the executive board had voted to impeach him and knew nothing until Jones e-mailed him asking for his resignation a week later.

The charges against Keller, as outlined in the memo to the Student Supreme Court, were “malfeasance in office, including failure to perform the duties of the office;” “nonfeasance in office, including failure to perform duties as outlined in the constitution and by-laws” and failure to meet attendance requirements.

According to the document, Keller failed to attend the Sept. 2 meeting, three SPA-sponsored events and an interview luncheon to choose the assistant union director.

According to the SPA constitution, the attendance requirements for SPA officials make it possible to remove any official who “acquires in excess of three absences during any semester.” Keller said he only missed two SPA-sponsored events, and the interview luncheon was not mandatory.

Jones said Keller also failed to take over positions that were left vacant when several members of SPA resigned; the positions included entertainment chair, publicity assistant and Webmaster. Jones also charged Keller with failing to keep designated office hours, to act in a timely manner and to hold weekly meetings with committee heads and the adviser.

Jones said Keller’s involvement with “The Nicholls Worth” played a role in his failure to fulfill his responsibilities because it was taking up most of his time.