An impeachment committee is forming to investigate grounds for removing Kansas University’s top three Student Senate leaders.

It’s the next step in an increasingly lengthy and complicated attempt by some fellow senators to oust from office Student Body President Jessie Pringle, Student Body Vice President Zach George and Senate Chief of Staff Adam Moon, who some fellow senators and students accused of failing to do enough to support black and other marginalized students on campus.

Following a heated university-wide town hall forum on race, the Senate’s Student Executive Committee approved a motion Friday demanding the three officers resign their positions by Wednesday — which they declined to do.

Senate rules require 25 percent of voting senators to sign a bill of impeachment in order for the process to proceed, and 27 of a total of 90 voting senators did so during Wednesday night’s full Senate meeting, according to Isaac Bahney, Senate Communications Director.

Normally under Senate rules, the vice president or the chief of staff would lead the impeachment process of a senator accused of misconduct.

But since both are “defendants” in this case, that duty falls to Senior Senator Lauren Arney, Bahney said. In the next three days, he said, Arney will assemble an impeachment committee of the Senate’s four standing committee chairpersons — Finance, Multicultural Affairs, University Affairs and Student Rights — and five other senators chosen by lottery.

Once formed, the committee has five days to prepare a report and recommendation for how to proceed, Bahney said — noting that the minority opinion on the committee may also prepare their own report and recommendation. The report and recommendation for discipline will be presented at the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting, or during a specially called meeting.

At that meeting, Pringle, George and Moon will be able to make their cases without debate.

If a simple majority of senators vote to move forward with hearing the case, the process will continue, Bahney said.

Then a special session must be called sometime between five and 10 class days later, during which the “accused” can take questions and the full senate can debate the charges against them.

Taking disciplinary action against the leaders will require a two-thirds vote, according to Senate rules and regulations.

Disciplinary action doesn’t necessarily mean kicking out the officers.

According to the rules, the full Senate does not have to follow the committee’s recommendation; it can impose discipline or no discipline as it sees fit.