The president of California’s Sonoma State University has been placed on leave after promising to work with pro-Palestinian protesters toward the university’s financial and academic boycott of Israel, a decision he said was made unilaterally.
Among the “key points of agreement,” he described, was for the university to initiate an “academic boycott” of Israel, in which any study abroad programs, faculty exchanges, or other formal collaborations sponsored by Israeli academic and research institutions would be terminated.
Although Sonoma State currently lacks any ties with Israel, the university will work with a local chapter of the activist group Students for Justice in Palestine to form an advisory council aimed at preventing such partnerships in the future, according to the message.
This advisory council, made up of “members of the encampment, faculty, staff, administrators, Palestinian alumni and other interested students,” will also be tasked with reviewing the school’s contracts and investment to identify potential ties to Israel. After the review, the council members and university administrators will “meet with proper officials to determine a course of action leading to divestment strategies that include seeking ethical alternatives.”
In return for the concessions, the occupants of the pro-Palestinian encampment packed away their tents and vacated the site by Wednesday evening.
Mr. Lee’s decision was met with an immediate backlash, including from California’s delegation to the U.S. Congress.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat who co-chairs the California Legislature’s Jewish Caucus, condemned Mr. Lee’s decision.
Several California institutions, including Sacramento State University and the Universities of California (UC) at Riverside and Berkeley, had agreed to look at divestment demands. However, none have gone as far as to offer protesters roles in the institution’s decision-making process.
“For now, because of this insubordination and consequences it has brought upon the system, President Lee has been placed on administrative leave,” Ms. Garcia said. She did not address the question of how long Mr. Lee will be away or whether he will return to the job at all.
“My goal when meeting with students at the encampment was to explore opportunities to make meaningful change, identify common ground and create a safe and inclusive campus for all,” he said. “I now realize that many of the statements I made in my campus-wide message did just the opposite.”
“In my attempt to find agreement with one group of students, I marginalized other members of our student population and community. I realize the harm that this has caused, and I take full ownership of it.”
He went on to say the points outlined in the message “were mine alone, and do not represent the views of my colleagues or the CSU.”
In the meantime, Mr. Lee’s duties will be taken over in the interim by Nathan Evans, a vice chancellor in Ms. García’s administration.
“As I step away on a leave, I will reflect on the harm this has caused and will be working with the Chancellor’s Office to determine next steps,” he said. “I look forward to supporting Dr. Nathan Evans, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, as he serves as Acting President of Sonoma State.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Lee for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
