Fresno State Academic Senate drafts no-confidence declaration in CSU Chancellor Castro
THE LATEST: CSU Chancellor Castro, under fire for handling of sexual harassment allegations, resigns
The Academic Senate at Fresno State has drafted a declaration of no confidence in California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro with a call for an independent legislative investigation into his handling of sexual harassment allegations during his tenure as president of the university.
Castro has been under fire since USA Today detailed allegations of misconduct against Fresno State’s former vice president of student affairs Frank Lamas. The university’s human resources department and its Title IX office received at least 12 complaints about Lamas over a six-year period, including that he stared at women’s breasts, touched women inappropriately, made sexist remarks, and berated and belittled employees.
When president at Fresno State, Castro never formally disciplined Lamas, instead praising him in annual performance reviews and approving annual merit pay raises. He also endorsed the former Fresno State administrator for a prestigious lifetime achievement award and when Lamas left the university he received $260,000 through a mediated settlement and a promise of a letter of recommendation toward future employment.
The resolution was introduced by faculty senator Michael Jenkins at the Feb. 14 senate meeting as new business, and the senate voted to accept the new business and to make it a top priority on the March agenda by a wide margin of the voting members, Raymond Hall, Academic Senate chairman, said in an email.
“Clearly our Faculty feel the need to make a statement on record concerning these recent revelations about Chancellor Castro’s management of Frank Lamas,” Hall said.
The wording and content of the resolution has not been yet agreed upon, and the Academic Senate will have a second reading of the resolution before a vote, according to another senate member.
Jenkins said he would be meeting Thursday afternoon with several members of the Academic Senate to discuss the language to be used in the resolution. But he reiterated the wording in the draft: “The Academic Senate of California State University, Fresno, given the current, uncertain circumstances surrounding Chancellor Castro, proclaim its lack of confidence in the Chancellor to lead, direct, administer his duties in the California State University system.”
Draft resolution highlights
It also asks that the CSU Board of Trustees immediately place the CSU chancellor on leave without pay pending results of the independent legislative investigation, and called for Castro to be summarily fired if that investigation corroborates reporting or finds additional evidence of an inappropriate response to those allegations including but not limited to:
That Chancellor Castro had previous knowledge of earlier complaints against Lamas.
That the actions taken by Chancellor Castro in response to the findings of sexual misconduct were hidden from the search firm and search committee during the Chancellor selection process.
That the agreement with the “respected retired federal judge” was a gentleman’s agreement colored by previous relationships between any or all three of the primary participants (Chancellor Castro, Lamas, and the unnamed retired federal judge).
That Lamas has in any way been able now or in the future to secure contracts in the CSU system for Lamas Education Advisory Services.
The CSU Board of Trustees met in a closed session on Thursday to discuss executive personnel matters. Thursday evening, Castro announced his resignation. It wasn’t immediately clear what his next move would be, but Castro’s appointment as chancellor secured his tenure as a professor in the system.
Fresno State students have protested, demanding Castro resign, and state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, and Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, are among a growing list of public officials who have called for an investigation into Castro and the handling of sexual harassment allegations at the university.
Pressure mounting on CSU chancellor
Lamas has denied the claims, and Castro told The Bee that he would not resign.
Pressure, however, is mounting on the CSU chancellor, who was appointed in September 2020, after serving as Fresno State president for seven years.
More than 200 faculty and staff at Long Beach State have signed a petition calling for Castro to resign over his handling of the sexual harassment allegations.
“Our Chancellor’s behavior speaks clearly to faculty, staff, and students — Castro does not care about sexual harassment, gender discrimination, or the safety and well-being of those of us who are most likely to be the targets of predators like Lamas,” the petition states, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
The Fresno State Academic Senate in the draft also is calling on the CSU board of trustees and the California Legislature to follow through with an independent investigation should Castro at any point resign.
Fresno State president Saul Jiménez-Sandoval in the wake of the allegations announced the creation of a task force led by an outside consulting firm to assess the university’s Title IX, bullying, harassment, and discrimination policies.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Fresno State Academic Senate drafts no-confidence declaration in CSU Chancellor Castro."