Overview
- The California State University system resolved a 2023 discrimination and harassment lawsuit tied to Cal State San Bernardino for a combined $12 million and then approved a one-year transition assignment for Tomás Morales with $343,920 in pay.
- The transition role, set to run from Aug. 3, 2026 to Aug. 2, 2027, will have Morales advising the incoming campus president and working on international partnerships, according to board documents.
- CSU officials said the lawsuit produced no individual findings against Morales and that he remains in "good standing," a classification the system uses to determine eligibility for its executive transition program.
- Plaintiffs, their lawyer and campus faculty leaders condemned the move as a failure of accountability and called for review of how the system treats misconduct claims, with union leaders urging an investigation and policy changes.
- The decision revives scrutiny of CSU’s long-standing executive transition program, which the board has reviewed before, and could prompt further governance changes and demands for clearer rules on eligibility and oversight.