An article in the school's student paper that included Coughlin's purported remarks. Coughlin, first elected student body president in 1989, had the power to appoint a new senator. That led another student senator to accuse Coughlin of discriminating against the student on the basis of his sexuality, at which point the student paper quoted Coughlin in February as saying he was "homophobic." In the guest column he wrote two weeks later, Coughlin sought to straighten things out, saying he had appoint another student because of his previous service in student government. The future state lawmaker would go on to lose reelection as student body president that spring, owing in part to the controversy.

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Persons: —, Kevin Coughlin, Emilia Sykes, Coughlin, shirk, Coughlin's, they're, it's, Cierra Shehorn Organizations: Service, Republican, Democratic Rep, Ohio Senate, Ohio House, Bowling Green State University, Business, BG, Gay Alliance Locations: Ohio