The president of a public university in California has retired, officials said Thursday, two days after he’d sent a message announcing that the school had promised pro-Palestinian protesters a review of its investments and an “academic boycott” of educational programs connected to Israeli institutions.
Lee, in his message sent Tuesday, called for a cease-fire in Gaza and said he and the university’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine “oppose and condemn all acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, antisemitism, and other activities that violate fundamental human rights.” Israel denies that it is carrying out genocide in Gaza. A case brought before the International Court of Justice by South Africa alleges that Israel is violating international law by committing and not preventing genocidal acts. The court has ordered Israel to do more to prevent the deaths of civilians.
“None of us should be on the sidelines when human beings are subject to mass killing and destruction,” Lee wrote.
García on Wednesday described Lee’s actions as “insubordination,” adding that his message brought “consequences” to the Cal State System, the largest four-year public university system in the country. She added that his message was “challenging and painful” for some Sonoma State students and community members.
Lee did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the university or García’s office.
In a second campuswide message sent Wednesday, Lee apologized and said he hadn’t consulted with García or other leaders before sending the first announcement.
“In my attempt to find agreement with one group of students, I marginalized other members of our student population and community,” Lee wrote. “I realize the harm that this has caused, and I take full ownership of it. I deeply regret the unintended consequences of my actions.”
For weeks, colleges across the United States have seen protests and pro-Palestinian encampments, with some ending in students’ arrests after university officials called local law enforcement to campuses. An encampment at Sonoma State, a campus of about 5,800 students in Rohnert Park, Calif., began on April 26.
Sonoma State administrators have been discussing the student demands since last week, Lee wrote. Across the country, officials at several schools have entered negotiations with demonstrators. Some, including Brown, Northwestern and Johns Hopkins universities, have successfully reached agreements to end their campus encampments.
As of Thursday evening, the status of Sonoma State’s discussions with protesters was unclear.
The encampment there began in late April, when tents were set up on the school’s Person Lawn. The encampment was peaceful, and police were aware of it, but officials did not find it “necessary to take any action,” Lee said in an April 28 message.
Photos taken by the staff of the Sonoma State Star, the university’s student newspaper, show tents with handwritten posters taped to them. In one photo, a poster had a list of students’ four demands of the university — divestment from institutions that are supportive of Israel, a boycott of academic programs connected to Israeli institutions, recognition of Palestinian identity and history within curriculums, and a statement calling for a permanent cease-fire.
On April 29, Lee sent a new memo detailing how antisemitic messages written in chalk were found on a sidewalk in front of the encampment. The messages would be removed, he said.
“Sonoma State University draws the line at depictions of intolerance and hate on our premises,” Lee wrote.
In the weeks since it began, Sonoma State’s encampment has remained peaceful. But the protest continued to grow in numbers, and students have received community support, including food and equipment, the Sonoma State Star reported.
Lee did not send another campus message related to the encampment until Tuesday, when he announced the agreement with protesters. He wrote that he had joined in the discussions with students and faculty on Friday and Tuesday. Those conversations led to the agreement he outlined, he said.
Lee said in his Wednesday statement that while he’s on leave, he would “reflect on the harm this has caused” and work with García’s office on next steps.
But the next day, Garcia’s office announced Lee’s retirement. In the message, she thanked Lee for his tenure with Cal State, adding that the system is experiencing a “transitional period” and that more information would be shared later.
