The president of Sonoma State College has retired from his function after being placed on leave for issuing a controversial campuswide message on the Israel-Hamas warfare.
California State College chancellor Mildred Garcia said in an announcement Thursday that President Ming Tung “Mike” Lee knowledgeable her of his determination to retire. Garcia positioned Lee on depart for “insubordination” on Wednesday, at some point after he launched a message in help of a boycott towards Israeli universities and mentioned that the college would pursue “divestment methods.” Garcia mentioned Lee didn’t obtain approval for the message.
In a letter to the group, Lee apologized for the “unintended penalties of my actions” and acknowledged that his message had not been reviewed by CSU officers.
“I need to be clear: The message was drafted and despatched with out the approval of, or session with, the Chancellor or different system leaders. The factors outlined within the message have been mine alone, and don’t characterize the views of my colleagues or the CSU,” Lee wrote.
Amy Bentley-Smith, Cal State director of strategic communications and public affairs, mentioned “there is no such thing as a written coverage” in the case of approval from the chancellor’s workplace over campus management’s communications associated to the Israel-Hamas battle.
“The chancellor and presidents have been in fixed communication throughout protest actions on campuses with the intent that selections on the college degree are made in session with the chancellor’s workplace and align not solely with shared college values and mission, however with relevant CSU system insurance policies, and state and federal legal guidelines,” Bentley-Smith mentioned.
Whereas the college system’s 23 campus presidents report to the chancellor, they’re thought-about the executive officers of their respective campuses and have some autonomy over campus selections.
Additionally Friday, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) sent a letter to Garcia and College of California President Michael V. Drake, calling for accountability when a campus chief appeals to “antisemitic calls for of encampments.”
“There may be an pressing want for system-wide motion in each the UC and CSU programs to revive order on campus, cease the adoption of [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] insurance policies, and, the place applicable, appoint new campus management,” wrote Kiley, who beforehand known as on Lee to resign.
Different state lawmakers had raised issues over Lee’s message. Sen. Invoice Dodd’s (D-Napa) workplace reached out to the chancellor’s workplace Wednesday to ask if Garcia had permitted the message, press secretary Paul Payne instructed The Occasions.
Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) additionally expressed opposition.
“That is horrific and incorrect,” Wiener told KRON-4 this week.
The chancellor mentioned she is going to proceed to work with appearing President Nathan Evans and the Board of Trustees throughout this “transitional interval.” In a statement to the Sonoma State community, Evans mentioned that Lee’s retirement is not going to overshadow Saturday’s graduation actions.
“We’ll create areas and locations to course of President Lee’s retirement and different latest developments as a group within the coming days and weeks. For now, I encourage all of us to concentrate on our graduates and their supporters,” Evans mentioned.
Lee labored at Sacramento State for 28 years. He got here out of a quick retirement in 2022 to turn out to be Sonoma State’s president after Judy Sakaki resigned amid outcry over sexual harassment and retaliation allegations towards her and her husband.
Occasions workers author Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.
Source link
