When things are going well, people don’t say anything. But the moment there is even a hint of things falling apart, people are ready to point blame and criticize.

Nick Todd, Student Government Association vice president of finance and president-elect, is suspected of misusing more than $600 in food purchases from an SGA Dining Dollars account. An investigation is currently underway.

It’s easy for something like this to cause students to have less faith in SGA. But students should not jump to conclusions. There has been no physical proof shown to the public that Todd is guilty. He, like anyone else, is under the U.S. justice system innocent until proven guilty. Todd is still under investigation, and it is unfair for anyone to make a judgment at this point.

Whatever judgment is made about the case, students should not undermine SGA in the process. This case already has been a horrible end to what has been a good year for SGA.

From the plus/minus grading issue to the new constitution, its members have done a good job in working out major issues for the students. Students didn’t want plus/minus grading, so SGA responded by actively campaigning against it in the University Senate. Its governmental organization was not the most effective, so it drafted the new constitution so it would be.

Yes, there were times that this editorial board did not agree with SGA. However, SGA’s effort to be a voice of the student body should not be discounted. The organization pushed for students to voice their opinions. SGA provided campus forums, surveys and other means to seek students’ opinions.

SGA was also upfront with the Herald and everyone else in the campus community about the allegations. With something so controversial that could give the organization a bad name, it is encouraging to see that SGA officers were honest with the student body. It shows a lot of character.

It’s easy to let one allegation of financial impropriety destroy the credibility of SGA. But if in the end there is a bad apple (and we’re not saying there is at this point), don’t let it destroy the bunch.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Herald’s 9-member board of student editors.