New law requires CSU to establish clear guidelines against sexual harassment

The California State University system must establish clear rules and guidelines for investigating and prosecuting sexual harassment cases under a law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday.

The new law requires the network of 23 campuses to implement the recommendations of a 2023 state audit that examined how officials at the nation’s largest public four-year university investigated and tracked complaints after protests over inadequate handling of sexual misconduct cases at several campuses.

Lawmakers called for the 2022 audit after investigations by the Los Angeles Times revealed inconsistencies and mishaps in the way officials responded to complaints of sexual misconduct and retaliation from students and faculty. The audit found a lack of oversight by the Chancellor’s Office, which oversees the system, and said officials did not properly document or investigate allegations of sexual harassment. It also recommended that the Chancellor’s Office implement the roughly two dozen reforms by July of this year. Lawmakers questioned whether CSU would make changes without legislative oversight during a hearing last year.

CSU must now implement last year’s recommendations, including developing clear guidelines for investigations, an established policy for tracking complaints and a policy for handling cases of misconduct that do not rise to the threshold of sexual harassment. University officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

House Bill 1790 was introduced by Representatives Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) and Mike Fong (D-Alhambra).

“This bill will ensure that survivors are heard, perpetrators are held accountable, and our educational institutions adhere to the highest standards of justice and support,” Connolly said in a statement. “By strengthening protections against sexual assault and sexual harassment, we can make our California state universities safer for students and faculty by ensuring that allegations of sexual harassment are not wrongfully dismissed.”

A 2022 Times investigation found that the CSU paid $600,000 to settle a claim with a State of Sonoma Chancellor claimed campus president retaliated after she reported allegations of sexual harassment against the president’s husband. The chancellor’s office did not investigate the allegations. Both the president and the president’s husband, who are no longer at the university, previously denied any wrongdoing.

Other investigations found deficiencies in the California Maritime Academy’s handling of allegations of sexual harassment against female and transgender students on campus and at sea. The Times also found inconsistencies in the way the CSU documented complaints.

The bill follows a law that came into force this year and requires the CSU to publicly disclose the results of complaints and investigations into sexual harassment.