The campus is still reeling this week from revelations reported Wednesday in the Press Democrat and Los Angeles Times that the California State University system paid $600,000 to former Sonoma State University Provost and Executive Vice President Lisa Vollendorf as a settlement for retaliation Vollendorf claims occurred after she reported several sexual harassment claims made against SSU President Judy Sakaki’s spouse, Patrick McCallum.

According to Vollendorf’s July 26, 2021, claim which was obtained through the CSU Chancellor’s Office, in 2018, “Several women affiliated with SSU approached Dr. Vollendorf with allegations of sexual harassment. The allegations -- all of which painted a cohesive picture of harassment – were against President Sakaki’s husband, Patrick McCallum, who was an active presence on campus, including attending many SSU - sponsored events attended by employees.”