Fresno State adds new position to address harassment
FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE) – Fresno State is adding a new position to lead a division to address harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims on campus.
“We cannot be in a silo and say everything is fine,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “No, we need to be accountable and then build the structure.”
The university has already added six positions to the division with the hopes of changing the culture on campus. It’s been a goal in the works for years, after several reports found from 2014-2019 Fresno State mishandled sexual harassment complaints.
The reports showed Fresno State provided a payout and reference letter to Vice President of Student Affairs Frank Lamas despite several complaints against him.
Last month, the California Assembly Higher Education Committee released a 30-page report that detailed the “mistrust” on several CSU campuses including Fresno State.
Mederios: “How do you gain the trust of the community but also of your students? Which is important for these campuses.”
Jimenez-Sandoval: “My mother used to say to me, God rest her soul, that trust is like a plant. You have to water it continuously. You have to take care of it continuously. You can’t just water it once and that’s it, then forget about it. Trust is a process of building trust over the years and building trust over actions that are concrete.”
A Fresno State Task Force revealed heavy workloads, poor documentation, and lack of experience all were issues at Fresno State when it came to the Title IX office and addressing harassment complaints.
Now, a division of seven employees supports those who make complaints with resources, including mental health resources, addressing the complaints, and educating the community on Title IX and harassment as a whole.
“What is retaliation, what is harassment?” said Jiménez-Sandoval. ”So we can stop it and prevent it in the future as well.”
The president said this program is not directly under his supervision to create separation of power and accountability.
