Recent allegations that former CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro mishandled sexual harassment complaints while president of Fresno State exposed questionable management at Cal State that goes way beyond a single problematic administrator.
Castro, who resigned last month after a USA Today story revealed that he failed to take serious action to address years of allegations lodged against one of his staffers, will be paid more than $400,000 over the next year and receive a plush housing allowance and benefits. And, as an investigation by the L.A. Times has detailed, he wasn’t the only departing executive to get such a sweet perk. CSU has paid out more than $4 million in salary and benefits since 2006 to a handful of former executives as part of CSU’s Executive Transition Program.
It’s time for a thorough review by an impartial outside consultant of Cal State’s policies and programs regarding misconduct by top administrators and compensation perks for executives. It appears the rights and needs of students and staff have been overridden repeatedly by special consideration for executives.
