LOS ANGELES — Two women who alleged inappropriate behavior by a Cal State vice president said they were dismayed he did not face any discipline or undergo corrective action by Sonoma State President Judy Sakaki after an investigation concluded he engaged in inappropriate touching and made unwanted sexual comments to women while working at another university.
Wm. Gregory Sawyer started at Sonoma State University in 2018, shortly before a woman at Cal State Channel Islands came forward with complaints about his behavior while he was a longtime vice president for student affairs at the Ventura County campus. The woman had been a student worker when she encountered the alleged behavior years prior, according to investigative records released by the university.
Sawyer said he did nothing wrong. The investigation concluded in 2019 that he made inappropriate comments about the appearance of women, gave one woman unwelcome hugs and called another “feisty,” “spicy” and “sassy,” the records show. Channel Islands officials determined that Sawyer’s conduct was unprofessional but did not amount to sexual harassment.
