February 5, 2022 - SACRAMENTO – Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) released the following statement in response to the shocking USA Today story recently published regarding California State University (CSU) Chancellor Joseph I. Castro:

“As Chair of the Senate Education Committee and as a mother and grandmother, I was extremely troubled when I read the recent report by USA Today that detailed Chancellor Castro’s handling of former CSU Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Lamas’ ongoing abusive conduct, including the sexual harassment of female students.  To that end, I call for an immediate and thorough investigation by the CSU Board of Trustees—and any other authority that may have jurisdiction—to determine the accuracy of the information that appears in the USA Today story.  If those allegations are proven to be accurate, I would then ask Chancellor Castro to immediately resign from his position since it would call into clear question his ability to lead the California State University system and its thousands of employees.  As the head of the entire CSU system, Chancellor Castro must prioritize the safety of students, staff, faculty and the entire CSU community and—if the information in the story is corroborated through an outside investigation—it would be evident that his ongoing behavior and favoritism further endangered the safety and well-being of countless students and others, possibly causing Title IX violations by the university.”

“Based on the findings of the concluded investigation, I would then convene a Senate Education Committee hearing to update and further uncover what happened under Chancellor Castro’s leadership while at Fresno State.”
Source: Senator Connie M. Leyva  Photo credit: Fresno State