CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro Resigns After Harassment Case Questions Arise
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) — California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro resigned Thursday following a closed-door meeting that lasted throughout much of Thursday, which was held to address the university system's sexual harassment policies, especially in regards to his past actions as a university president.
His resignation was announced after questions about his time as president of Fresno State University arose, and how Castro handled complaints made against an administrator during his time there from 2013 to 2020, when he became the eighth Chancellor for the California State University.
Castro released a statement following his resignation, which goes into place immediately. The statement read:
"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. 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.
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."
The Board of Trustees were working to find a suitable replacement for Castro. As they continue their search, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Steve Relyea will serve as acting Chancellor.
Castro's name was brought into the spotlight on Feb. 3, when USA Today published a report detailing the 2020 settlement agreement that Castro had brokered between Fresno State Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Frank Lamas, who was facing as many as a dozen harassment complaints over a six-year period. Several allegations stated that Lamas inappropriately touched women, stared at their breasts, made sexist remarks and was witnessed berating and retaliating against employees of his.
In 2019, action was finally taken against Lamas when a former employee alleged that he offered her a promotion in return for sexual favors.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Castro was the decisive figure in brokering a $260,000 buyout and retirement package for Lamas.
After news of the settlement agreement broke, Castro sent a letter to the CSU community that said his main goal in the agreement was to remove Castro from campus and the community. He also disclosed his regret for writing Lamas a letter of reference following the incident, that failed to disclose any of the allegations made against him.
In the letter, Castro issued condolences and apologized for "any additional hurt and understandable frustration brought about by aspects of the mediated settlement agreement.''
The letter concluded with this, "We must do more – and we will do more. I am fully committed to working with our campus presidents and the CSU Board of Trustees on these critically important issues, and I pledge to continue to do so until the California State University becomes a national model for the prevention and redress of sexual misconduct in all its forms."
Board of Trustee Chair Lillian Kimbell responded to Castro's resignation Thursday with her own statement that thanked him for his cooperation and his "decision to step down for the benefit of California State University system."
Kimbell is one of the trustees who intends to call for a vote at their March 22-23 meeting at Fresno State University to hire Gina Maisto Smith and Leslie Gomez, the chair and vice chair of Cozen O'Connor's Institutional Response Group, to conduct a comprehensive systemwide assessment, with the goals 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, according to the Cal State University website.
Castro's full letter can be found here.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)