Embattled SSU President Judy Sakaki may skip campus open house to avoid overshadowing event

As Sonoma State University prepares to put its best foot forward for hundreds of prospective students and their parents this weekend, officials braced for the possibility that embattled President Judy Sakaki might not attend the annual showcase.

Early indications from her office Wednesday signaled she wanted the event’s focus to be on the students and not on the sexual harassment and retaliation scandal that has broken up her marriage, raised questions about her ability to lead and led to a potential no-confidence vote by the faculty next week.

“President Sakaki (didn’t) want her personal issues being covered by the media to distract from what should be the true focus of the day, which is our students and their families, and why SSU is a wonderful place to study and experience college life,” stated a draft email from the President’s Office obtained by The Press Democrat.

SSU spokeswoman Julia Gonzalez said the email was a draft that was not intended to be shared with the public and that Sakaki had not seen it or approved it.

Asked if Sakaki would attend Saturday’s event, Gonzalez said “she has not made a decision yet.”

“I can say that preparations are being made in the event that President Sakaki doesn’t attend,” Gonzalez said.

Saturday’s Seawolf Decision Day is essentially a campus open house where prospective students and their parents have the opportunity to meet current students, faculty, staff and SSU alumni. Presidents traditionally attend the event.

However, the event comes a week and a half after The Press Democrat first reported revelations that the California State University system paid a $600,000 settlement in January to a former provost, Lisa Vollendorf, to resolve a dispute related to sexual harassment complaints against Sakaki’s husband, Patrick McCallum.

Earlier this week, Sakaki announced she was separating from McCallum. She also disavowed private and public statements McCallum made defending himself and addressing media reports in The Press Democrat and The Los Angeles Times. In those statements, McCallum apologized for behavior that may have made people feel uncomfortable, but he denied that behavior was sexual in nature.

On campus Wednesday, a student “tour guide” who will be hosting potential students and their families on Saturday said the open house will be a “make-or-break” event.

Sean Kenneally, a fourth-year Sonoma State student who is double-majoring in communications and environmental science, said he hopes he doesn’t get any questions about Sakaki.

“This is rough. It’s a whole ‘nother PR scandal like the dead bodies,” Kenneally said, referring to two incidents in recent years where bodies had been found in wooded areas of the campus. Neither was a Sonoma State student.

Kenneally said the scandal surrounding Sakaki and her estranged husband is just another blow to the university. It comes as the school is struggling with a serious budget shortfall and difficulty attracting students, some of whom have concerns about the potential impact of wildfires.

“It makes the brand worse,” he said. “Half the time we don’t get kids coming because of wildfires.”

On Wednesday, the campus was sparsely populated, though some students did take advantage of a few hours of sun before late afternoon rains arrived. Some on campus described the campus as a “ghost town” still struggling from the impact of the pandemic.

Faculty prepares for potential no-confidence vote

On Thursday, the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate will decide whether to forward a proposed vote of no confidence in Sakaki's leadership to the entire faculty membership. A group of about seven faculty members crafted the language of the resolution over the past several days, said Talena Sanders, associate professor of communications and media studies.

Vote of No Confidence Resolution.pdf

“President Sakaki’s handling of allegations involving her husband and her alleged retaliation against the previous provost have undermined enforcement of university policies, damaged the public image of the university and cost the system financially,” the proposed 800-word resolution states.

It also criticizes her overall stewardship of the 7,200-student campus in Rohnert Park.

“The president has overseen a decline of university enrollments and budgets. She has delegated nearly all of her responsibilities to subordinates, and she has not engaged with students, staff, or faculty in meaningful ways to plan for the future of the university,” the resolution states.

Sanders said she was motivated to pursue the resolution after reading the details of the women's experiences with McCallum and the retaliation they said they faced for speaking out about it.

“It (the scandal) will make people on campus afraid to speak up when there are issues,” she said. “And it ripples out to our students. They wonder who they would go to if they have been sexually harassed.”

The executive committee will meet in the afternoon. If they decide to advance the resolution, it will be presented at the next scheduled Academic Senate meeting April 27.

Sanders said she didn't see Sakaki taking responsibility for the effect the revelations of harassment and retaliation have had on the campus. Morale was already low before those came to light, she said — the result of sinking enrollment and a growing budget crisis.

“If she really cared about our campus, our students, the reputation of the (California State University System), she would have already stepped down,” Sanders said.

The $600,000 payout to Vollendorf, who left Sonoma State in 2020, reportedly came from CSU insurance. About a year earlier, Vollendorf reported to CSU officials that several female SSU employees had raised sexual harassment concerns involving McCallum, a semiretired education lobbyist who has been married to Sakaki since 2016, the year she assumed the helm at Sonoma State.

Two of the women who complained spoke to The Press Democrat. One said McCallum had acted “creepy” and made her feel uncomfortable. Another said she took steps not to be alone with McCallum at social events.

According to Vollendorf’s claim filed in July 2021 with the CSU Chancellor’s Office, her report of harassment and the ensuing CSU investigation triggered retaliation from Sakaki. In her statement announcing her separation, Sakaki distanced herself from recent statements made by McCallum about his accusers. She said, “I consider the matters between Dr. (Lisa) Vollendorf and me to be resolved.”

Paloma Sapien, a 24-year-old senior studying business management, said Wednesday she was “surprised and disappointed” when she learned about the controversy surrounding Sakaki and her husband.

Sapien, who is a transfer student from College of Marin, said that since the scandal broke she’s seen Sakaki on campus “smiling and waving” to people, something she found odd. “I have never really seen her talking to students or be engaging,” she said.

“I think she’s trying to save face,” Sapien said. “As a woman, I don’t like feeling like she should pay for her husband’s actions. But I think that as the president, and having such a prominent role, I think it is her responsibility.”

Press Democrat intern Kylie Lawrence contributed reporting.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.