CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro bungled sexual harassment complaints, and it cost him his job

News of Joseph Castro’s resignation as chancellor of the California State University system came suddenly but was not surprising.

Castro really had no other choice.

The former president of California State University, Fresno had been on the job as the head of the 23-campus CSU for just over a year. But earlier this month, shocking news was reported by USA Today: Castro had failed to act decisively when complaints of sexual harassment arose involving his vice president of student affairs.

Only after one woman agreed to file a formal Title IX complaint did Castro order an investigation into Frank Lamas, despite allegations of inappropriate behavior by Lamas having been raised for years. Lamas denied any wrongdoing, but the investigator found otherwise, saying he had indeed sexually harassed women at the campus.

The university’s human resources department and its Title IX office received at least 12 complaints about Lamas over a six-year period, including that he stared at women’s breasts, touched women inappropriately, made sexist remarks, and berated and belittled employees.

Castro had recruited Lamas to come to Fresno State. Then, when the complaints were made, Castro did not formally discipline Lamas. He praised him instead in annual performance reviews and approved annual merit pay raises. Castro also endorsed Lamas for a prestigious lifetime achievement award. When Lamas left the university, he received $260,000 through a mediated settlement directed by Castro, and a promise of a letter of recommendation toward future employment.

The Lamas case created deep skepticism on the campus among some women faculty who saw the system protecting Lamas.

As much as Castro’s resignation is a sad chapter for someone who remains beloved in many quarters in Fresno, the fact is he was in position as the university president to make a difference when it came to harassment. That he did not is tragic.

Valley native son

Castro was quickly welcomed when he took over at Fresno State in 2013. He was a native son of the San Joaquin Valley, having grown up in a single-parent family in Hanford.

It was his own experience as a first-generation college student that empowered Castro to focus much of his energies at Fresno State into inspiring other first-generation Bulldogs to dream big. His phrase was “Be Bold,” and the Fresno community embraced the ethic.

There will be sorrow in Fresno over Castro’s downfall. However, the women who say Lamas harassed them will carry those painful memories for the rest of their lives. Castro claims he did everything within the rules to deal with Lamas. But why did Castro praise Lamas so effusively? Why did he put his name forward for special awards and commendations?

It’s sad and tragic that a man who grew up humble and propelled himself to the very top of his profession could, in the end, be brought down by allegations that he propped up the same good ol’ boy system that he overcame to make a name for himself and be seen as a source of pride, especially by Latinos.

There is a chance this will never make sense to anyone who knows Castro and celebrated his short-lived promotion to run the CSU.

Upon receiving Castro’s resignation, the CSU trustees announced there would be a system-wide review of Title IX compliance, with the goal of improving accountability and support for victims. That was a necessary and much needed step.

This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 8:20 PM.