Last year, Sonoma State was rocked with scandal and uncertainty. Former President Judy Sakaki resigned in July 2022 after sexual assault allegations were made against her husband, Patrick McCallum, and a $600,000 settlement was paid by CSU to the alleged victim and former SSU provost, Lisa Vollendorf.
As Senator Bill Dodd was preparing Senate Bill 808, introduced Feb. 17, a scandal at Sonoma State was taken into consideration as well as many other mishandlings of sexual harassment allegations across the CSU system.
Senate Bill 808 is pushing for increased accountability and transparency of sexual harassment investigations. Making settlements public on CSU websites, having increased oversight, and prohibiting retreat rights are all goals the bill is looking to accomplish.
Sexual harassment investigations and settlements have been historically private, but Dodd’s spokesperson, Paul Payne, says the bill is trying to change that. “Schools would have to inform state lawmakers of exactly what happened. That way, there will be accountability and oversight,” said Payne. He also shared that the exact details were not concrete because the bill is still new, but reporting details of investigations and settlements to the legislature would be required.
Another level of transparency the bill is looking to achieve is the posting of settlements, length of investigations, and the number of complaints filed on a CSU’s website. The goal, Payne says, is to bring light to these cases to clean up the problems present on California campuses, “The exact details are still being decided but it will probably be on the school’s website.” If the bill passes, students can expect to see a lot more information about investigations.
Jennifer Bonifacio Rodriguez, a first year with an undeclared major, believes the increased transparency will create a safer atmosphere, saying, “It gives the harasser a reason to be scared and not repeat their actions. It would prevent further harassment because people want their personal life private.” She thinks actions like these will make students feel more at ease.
While information about an alleged incident will be more accessible, the accused may not be able to stay on a campus at all if they are found at fault. The bill, while creating more transparency, wants to prohibit retreat rights, which, according to George Birnbaum Law, means “If the board decides to find a new leader, the departing president has the option of staying at the school and “retreating” to a position on the faculty.” If a CSU president, dean, or provost had allegations against them, they would be able to resign but still hold a position on the same school’s faculty. SB 808 is possibly looking to change that, Payne explains, “It is a possible provision of the bill. It’s not final yet, but it’s definitely an idea the bill is considering.”
Jocelyn Mora, a first year Biology major says that this would be a win for student and faculty safety, saying, “I think it will allow the students to feel safer if the person isn’t on campus altogether.” Jennifer Bonifacio Rodriguez added that, “eliminating that fear altogether would be beneficial for a campus’ emotional wellbeing.”
In a statement made on Feb. 17, Senator Dodd states, “When it comes to sexual harassment or violence on our campuses, we must take swift action to investigate and hold those responsible to account,” adding, “As a grandparent and CSU graduate, I am committed to making sure students feel safe and respected on our CSU campuses.”
Senator Bill 808 will be eligible to be heard in committee and receive its first vote on or after March 20.
