CSUMB president announces a change in leadership at Title IX office.

In another shake-up among the CSU Monterey Bay administration since the arrival of President Vanya Quiñones, Wendy Smith, the person in charge of investigating sex discrimination cases, as well as cases of other types of discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases, is "no longer with the university," according to a announcement to faculty and staff on Feb. 24.

Smith served as director of the CSUMB Title IX office since 2014, as well as serving as the university's discrimination, harassment and retaliation coordinator. (Title IX is a federal law designed to protect the rights of students in cases of gender-based discrimination.) No reason was given for her departure. Smith could not be reached for comment. 

It's another change in leadership among CSUMB administrators since Quiñones took over as president in August. In December, Larry Samuels left CSUMB after his position as vice president of strategic initiatives was eliminated and he was shifted to a previous position of his, special assistant to the president. Samuels took a job at UC Santa Cruz.

On Feb. 24, Quiñones thanked faculty and staff in an email for participating in a Title IX assessment and survey conducted by a consultant, the Cozen O'Connor Institutional Response Group. The survey had been completed the week before, with results released in the coming months, she said.

Quiñones then announced that her leadership team was reversing a decision made in December to remove the Title IX office from Student Affairs and have Smith report to Brian Corpening, associate vice president for inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer. 

"Keeping the office within Student Affairs will allow us to review recommendations from Cozen before we make any organizational changes," Quiñonoes said.

Smith was replaced by an interim Title IX and discrimination, retaliation and harassment coordinator, Raquel Bonilla. Quiñones said CSUMB will be hiring an outside consultant to assist Bonilla "to ensure a timely response to all matters referred to this office. Any pending cases will continue to move forward under Raquel's supervision."

One such possible case involves a professor in the Liberal Studies Department, Miguel Lopez, who is on administrative leave. The leave, which began in February, comes after students complained to the Title IX office in October alleging Lopez made sexist comments and discriminated against students based on gender and race, among other issues. (University officials would not confirm an investigation or administrative leave status, based on state and federal laws, as well as CSU policy.)

"At CSUMB we take all discrimination and harassment complaints we receive seriously and are committed to maintaining an inclusive and equitable community that values diversity and fosters mutual respect, free from all forms of discrimination and harassment based on gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, veteran or military status," Quiñones said in the Feb. 24 email.