California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro sent out an email on Feb. 4 to the CSU community regarding a USA Today investigation into his alleged mishandling of long-standing sexual assault accusations made against a Fresno State University administrator during Castro’s tenure as president of the university.

The USA Today story revealed that Castro received seven complaints against Fresno State’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, Frank Lamas, before ultimately allowing Lamas to leave quietly with a letter of recommendation from Castro. 

“Above all, I want to acknowledge the pain suffered by the members of the Fresno State community,” Castro said. “To those who were hurt by Dr. Lamas’ behavior and actions, I am deeply and profoundly sorry.”

Chico State’s Media Relations Coordinator referred The Orion to the CSU Chancellor’s Office when asked for a statement from President Gayle Hutchinson regarding the allegations made against Castro. 

Lillian Kimbell, CSU Board of Trustees chair, plans to request that their board launch an independent investigation into Castro’s handling of the reported harassment of students and faculty by Lamas.

The Chico State chapter of the California Faculty Association said they will support an independent investigation of Castro and that they take harassment claims and Title IX cases very seriously.

“The way the CSUs handle Title IX and harassment needs more active attention,” Chico State CFA Chapter President Timothy Sistrunk said. “It’s a very large institution and there is a habit or a custom to kind of protect the institution. People are worried about lawsuits instead of resolving what happened so individuals don’t suffer.”

USA Today’s investigation found that CSU officials stonewalled the release of information about 12 sexual harrassment, bullying and retaliation reports filed against Lamas dating back to 2014. 

The investigation accused Castro of attempting to quietly remove Lamas from Fresno State without a lawsuit by offering him a payout of $260,000, full retirement benefits and a glowing letter of recommendation as well as a performance review that did not include any mention of the sexual assault investigation.

In his email, Castro said the report lacked context and clarity.

After a formal Title IX complaint was filed against Lamas in 2019, Castro said he acted immediately and had removed Lamas from campus within four days. Fresno State then entered into settlement negotiations to remove Lamas from campus as quickly as possible and to bar him from future employment at any other CSU campus — although not at other universities outside the CSU system.

Regarding the settlement agreement, Castro said: “I was required to provide Dr. Lamas with a letter of reference. I did so, and included language mentioning the progress the campus had made on student success and outcomes during his tenure. In hindsight, while my motives were to expedite Dr. Lamas’ permanent removal from the CSU, I regret agreeing to this aspect of the settlement, knowing that it caused additional pain.”

Castro stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen sexual abuse suvivor support services and addressing barriers that can impeded action in these cases. 

Fresno State appointed Castro as president of the university in 2013 where he worked until he was chosen to serve as the CSU Chancellor in 2021, the first Hispanic American to receive the position. 

Clarification: This article has been updated to note that Timothy Sistrunk is the president of the Chico State chapter of CFA, not the president of the entire CFA.

Ava Norgrove can be reached at [email protected].