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California governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that requires the California State University system to establish clear policies for investigating and documenting sexual harassment claims, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Under the law, the system has to implement the recommendations from a 2023 state audit, which found that officials failed to properly track and investigate harassment complaints and that the chancellor’s office failed to exercise sufficient oversight.
The audit came after a series of scandals about how CSU leaders handled misconduct allegations and a Times investigation , which found troubling inconsistencies in the way CSU campuses dealt with such complaints. A 2023 external review of the system’s Title IX reporting and investigation processes, ordered by CSU’s Board of Trustees, found similar flaws in how campus officials applied Title IX policies.
“This legislation will ensure that survivors are heard, perpetrators are held accountable, and our educational institutions uphold the highest standards of justice and support,” Assembly Member Damon Connolly, who co-sponsored the bill, said in a statement.
CSU spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith responded in a statement that protecting students and employees from discrimination and harassment is one of the system’s “highest priorities.”
“We are actively working to meet and where possible exceed the recommendations and become a national leader in building a culture of care and trust through greater training and consistent and compassionate practices for handling and resolving complaints,” she said.
