CSU trustees must look into Castro’s role in complaints

A shocking USA Today story published Thursday alleges that former Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro failed in his role as the university’s leader when it came to sexual harassment charges made against a top administrator.

Castro, who is now the chancellor of the 23-campus CSU system, is also accused in the USA Today story of failing to forcefully deal with the administrator, but he furthermore gave that staffer a sweetheart deal to quietly leave Fresno State and never work for the California State University system again.

Castro’s actions, as explained in the story by USA Today education reporter Kenny Jacoby, completely belie the reputation he held in the Fresno community as a straightforward leader who put student success first. According to the story, Castro only launched an in-depth investigation into the administrator, former vice president of student affairs Frank Lamas, after a student reported him “implying he would help her get promoted in exchange for sexual favors,” Jacoby writes.

It is paramount that the CSU Board of Trustees launch its own investigation into Castro’s actions to learn if he truly failed to act responsibly.

Castro did not take action

Castro did a lot of good in the years he led Fresno State. Under his watch, first-generation students enrolled at the university steadily increased, most of them from the San Joaquin Valley and from Latino families.

The grade-point average of incoming freshmen steadily rose during his tenure as well, and Castro pushed a “Be Bold!” ethic in rousing the campus community toward greater success. Fresno State consistently rated high in numerous national rankings.

But as these positive things were happening, Lamas was creating a climate of abusive behavior toward staff under his direction, especially women, the USA Today story outlines. It is based on a six-month investigation that used investigative reports, court records, police reports, emails, personnel records and interviews.

Jacoby writes that over a six-year period, starting in 2014 when Lamas was hired, the university received 12 complaints about him. Seven of those were received by Castro himself.

Instead of disciplining Lamas forcefully enough to get him to stop the behavior, Castro gave Lamas glowing performance reviews and backed him for a university lifetime achievement award, Jacoby writes. The only form of counseling he received at Castro’s direction was a six-hour sensitivity session with a consultant.

Castro launched a formal investigation only after the doctoral program student filed a Title IX complaint alleging Lamas had sexually harassed her. She contended it had gone on for a year. That investigation found that 13 of 26 employees who worked for Lamas said “they’d witnessed Lamas make sexist comments, touch women inappropriately, or close his office window blinds while alone with them.

“Three women said they’d caught Lamas staring at their breasts, and three others said they knew colleagues who’d made the same allegation.”

Several women said they did not come forward for fear of retaliation by Lamas.

He has denied any wrongdoing, according to USA Today. The investigator told Castro that Lamas’ blanket denials lacked credibility, even as he insisted he was the victim of efforts to harm his reputation.

Jacoby writes how Timothy White, former CSU Chancellor who groomed Castro as his replacement, agreed with Castro to get Lamas to leave quietly and without a lawsuit. The deal Castro worked out: a year’s worth of salary, $260,000, and full retirement benefits. Lamas now lives in Florida, USA Today says.

Investigation needed

The CSU Board of Trustees must now do three things:

▪ First, it must see this for the serious problem that it is. This is not a minor infraction. Rather, Castro failed to forcefully deal with a subordinate who was causing major trauma to women on campus. This despite the fact that, as Fresno State’s president at the time, Castro was ultimately in charge of making sure sexual harassment did not occur anywhere on campus.

▪ Second, the board must launch an investigation into Castro’s actions, or lack thereof. CSU faculty, staff and the California public must be assured that the system’s leader can be trusted to do the right thing.

▪ Third, if Castro made significant errors in judgment in the Lamas case, he must be let go. If Castro could not rightly deal with serious allegations made by many women of sexual harassment and abusive behavior by a campus vice president, how can he be trusted to lead the CSU?

Joe Castro is a native son of the San Joaquin Valley and remains beloved here. It is painful to offer such recommendations. But if the USA Today story is right, Castro did an uncharacteristically poor job of handling the case against Frank Lamas. It could cost him his job.

This story was originally published February 4, 2022 at 11:45 AM with the headline "CSU trustees must look into Castro’s role in complaints."