GSA president and vice-president (Indigenous relations) suspended

Sources have told The Gateway that President of the University of Alberta Graduate Students’ Association, Aashish Kumar, and Vice-president (Indigenous relations) Tamara Dubé have been suspended. The Gateway is not naming the sources as they were not authorized to share this information with The Gateway. Both suspensions are non-disciplinary, with pay, and will be in place until all ACB hearings are complete.

The Appeals and Complaints Board (ACB) suspended Kumar on December 11 based on a complaint filed by Dubé back in June. 

GSA policy states that the decision to place a directly elected officer (DEO), such as a president or vice-president, on a suspension should be made within two working days. The ACB did not respond to Dubé’s complaint until November.

In a release sources shared with The Gateway, the ACB stated that Kumar’s suspension is “non-punitive and non-disciplinary in nature. It is a temporary administrative measure implemented to protect legitimate GSA interests.”

The statement reiterated that the suspension was not an indication of wrongdoing.

The ACB shared no further details on the complaint against Kumar.

The Gateway is also aware of other complaints that have been filed against Kumar, but that the ACB has yet address.

Kumar declined to comment on his suspension.

Tamara Dubé suspended after anonymous complaint

An anonymous complaint was filed against Dubé on December 15. The ACB suspended Dubé on the same day.

A release from the ACB that sources shared with The Gateway stated that the complainant had requested anonymity under GSA policy H.POL.12.1. 

The release also stated that “the complaint alleges that [Dubé] failed to satisfy her duties and the expected standards of conduct for DEOs.”

It also stated that Dubé is to maintain strict confidentiality with the complaint and all related communications and proceedings. Sharing any such information outside of an advisor “may result in disciplinary action.”

Dubé has 15 working days to provide the ACB with a written and signed response to the complaint. This may include a response to the allegations, witnesses Dubé intends to call in a hearing, and any proposed remedy.

The statement also said that the complainant proposed measures of informal resolution from Dubé. The suggested measures include Dubé issuing an apology to all GSA DEOs, staff, and volunteers, either at GSA Council or in the GSA newsletter. Additionally, Dubé would provide an formal apology specifically to Kumar. 

Another suggested measure is a formal retraction of “defamatory statements regarding current/former DEOs, staff, or volunteers.”

The third suggested measure is restrictions on Dubé’s use of “GSA-associated mailing lists unless approved by applicable staff and compliant with [U of A] agreements/policies.”

The ACB’s statement also stated that the suspension is non-disciplinary, with pay, and to “protect legitimate GSA interests.” It did not state that the suspension is not an indication of wrongdoing or that the suspension is non-punitive.  

Dubé said she could not comment on her suspension at this time.

Concerns over treatment of Indigenous DEOs

Dubé is the fourth Indigenous DEO in the GSA’s history. She is a member of the Red River Métis. She is the third Indigenous DEO to be suspended in a year.

The ACB suspended Benjamin Kucher in December 2024, a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, who served as the GSA’s vice-president (student life) in 2024. Kucher later resigned. Kucher is now the president of the Indigenous Graduate Students’ Association (IGSA).

Nathan Lamarche, also Métis, was the 2025–26 associate vice-president (labour). The ACB also suspended Lamarche for five months before the it ruled to remove him from his position in November.

The IGSA released a statement on its Instagram on December 22 expressing its concern with the GSA.

The statement said that the GSA’s actions “have undermined Indigenous representation, silenced Indigenous voices, and disregarded the principles of reconciliation the university claims to uphold.”

It references the rescission of Dubé’s original appointment, and “ongoing patterns of retaliation, procedural abuse, and erasure.”

As a result, the IGSA stated that its relationship with the GSA has been “fundamentally compromised.”

“The current conditions make it effectively impossible for the IGSA to continue engaging with the GSA in good faith,” the statement said.

It also said that the IGSA is evaluating all options to safeguard Indigenous students and Indigenous governance, including “the assessment of potential legal avenues from a human rights and discrimination perspective.”

The statement also called for the U of A, the broader graduate student body, and allies in the academic community to hold the GSA to account.

The IGSA called for the GSA to issue a “full and public apology, both to [Dubé] … and to the broader Indigenous graduate student community.”

Kumar has denied the GSA or himself personally having any anti-Indigenous bias in previous interviews.