CSU Chancellor Castro resigns under fire for handling of sexual harassment allegations
California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro resigned on Thursday amid condemnation and calls for independent investigation into his handling of sexual harassment allegations when president at Fresno State.
“I have been honored to serve the California State University for more than eight years, including as its eighth chancellor, and the decision to resign is the most difficult of my professional life,” Castro said, in a statement through the CSU chancellor’s office. “While I disagree with many aspects of recent media reports and the ensuing commentary, it has become clear to me that resigning at this time is necessary so that the CSU can maintain its focus squarely on its educational mission and the impactful work yet to be done.”
Castro in the statement added, “As I know from my own lived experience, our state’s and nation’s diverse and talented young people – especially low-income and first-generation students – deserve access to the transformative power of higher education that so often can seem like an elusive dream. I remain forever committed to ensuring that those students – our future leaders – are able to achieve that dream for themselves, their families and their communities.”
A succession plan to replace Castro is being finalized by the CSU Board of Trustees. Steve Relyea, executive vice chancellor and chief financial officer, will serve as acting chancellor until an interim chancellor is selected.
Fresno State issues
Castro has been under fire for the past two weeks, after USA Today detailed as many as 12 allegations of sexual harassment against Frank Lamas when he was the vice president of student affairs at Fresno State.
An official Title IX complaint was filed in October 2019 that would later trigger two separate investigations and prompted the university to place Lamas on administrative leave.
Among the allegations, which Lamas has denied: he stared at women’s breasts, touched women inappropriately, made sexist remarks and created a hostile or abusive work environment.
Castro provided personal counsel and brought in a trainer, but despite the allegations continued to give Lamas positive performance evaluations and annual merit pay increases.
Board didn’t hear of concerns before appointment
The CSU Board of Trustees was not made aware of the concerns over Castro’s handling of those claims or the mediated settlement between the university and its former vice president of student affairs, prior to his appointment as chancellor in September 2020.
That settlement included $260,000 and a letter of recommendation toward future employment.
The board, in its release, said it learned of the concerns regarding Castro’s handling of the allegations against Lamas early in February. It gave notice of a closed session on Feb. 7, and that meeting was held via Zoom teleconference on Thursday morning. Castro resigned later in the day.
The settlement was authorized by former chancellor Timothy White, and the standing orders of the board delegate to the chancellor the authority and responsibility to resolve claims and settle litigation.
Castro’s base annual salary when he was hired as chancellor was $625,000. His terms of employment include tenure as a professor in the CSU system.
The CSU trustees also announced they intend to launch an initiative to strengthen institutional culture throughout the 23-campus system. At board meetings scheduled March 22-23, the trustees also intend to call for a vote to engage Gina Maisto Smith and Leslie Gomez, the chair and vice chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Institutional Response Group, to conduct a comprehensive system-wide assessment with a goal of providing insights, recommendations and resources to help advance CSU’s Title IX and civil rights training, awareness, prevention, intervention, compliance, accountability, and support systems.
The assessment will begin this March at Fresno State, according to the CSU release announcing the resignation.
“We appreciate Chancellor Castro’s cooperation with the Trustees and his decision to step down for the benefit of California State University system,” board chair Lillian Kimbell said, in the release.
Mounting pressure in advance of resignation
Castro had said in an interview with The Bee that he would not resign, but pressure on the embattled CSU chancellor continued to build.
The academic senate at Fresno State drafted a declaration of no-confidence in Castro to lead, direct or administer his duties in the California State University system and called on the Board of Trustees and state legislature to follow through with an independent investigation even if he were to resign.
“Clearly our Faculty feel the need to make a statement on record concerning these recent revelations about Chancellor Castro’s management of Frank Lamas,” said Raymond Hall, academic senate chairman, in an email.
Fresno State students also protested, demanding his resignation. State Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, and Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, were 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.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 7:47 PM with the headline "CSU Chancellor Castro resigns under fire for handling of sexual harassment allegations."