State Supreme Court Judge Tracey Bannister dismissed the lawsuit between Sub-Board I and UB following a 90-minute trial Tuesday morning.
Bannister cited her belief that UB acted within its discretion to dissolve SBI.
The dismissal comes after a three-month dispute between UB and SBI regarding SBI’s right to exist on campus. SBI offered numerous services to students, including legal counsel, an off-campus housing search portal and a South Campus safety shuttle. According to UB’s representation, these services left the university vulnerable for liabilities because of the affiliation.
UB representatives also claimed the student body did not support the renewal of SBI, citing that six out of seven student governments support the Faculty Student Association, which currently serves as Campus Dining & Shops, as their fiscal agency for the academic year.
"With the court's decision today, the university and its student governments are free to appoint a new fiscal agent for the upcoming academic year,” read a UB statement following the hearing. “As a result, we believe our student governments will be much better served, and they can move ahead in the development of services that meet the needs of our students."
This decision came as a disappointment to SBI’s 17 full-time employees, many of whom were in attendance. Josh Lippes, SBI’s legal counsel and chief attorney, felt the lawsuit was dismissed before SBI could explain the merits of the case.
“We disagree strongly with the ruling,” Lippes said. “We do not believe the determination was correct and feel it was arbitrary and capricious. We plan to appeal it immediately.”
Samantha Vargas is the senior features editor and can be reached at Samantha.Vargas@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @SamMarieVargas.
Samantha Vargas is an English/ film studies double major with a minor in media study. She spends her free time finding shows around buffalo and hanging out with her cat.
