San Jose State University President Mary Papazian announced Thursday she would resign from her post before the end of the year.
Her resignation comes amid turmoil at the university over the school’s handling of sexual abuse allegations by student athletes against a longtime sports trainer.
“On September 25, after thoughtful consideration and discussions with my family, I made the decision to step away as president of San Jose State University at the end of the fall semester,” Papazian wrote in a letter to the campus community. “I truly love this university and believe this choice will allow the focus going forward to be on our talented, diverse, and outstanding campus. I will conclude my tenure as president on December 21, 2021.”
Several days before Papazian apparently reached her decision, the university reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, agreeing to pay a total of $1.6 million to victims. The trainer, Scott Shaw, resigned and the athletic director at the time, Marie Tuite, was reassigned to a fundraising role before leaving the school in August. The allegations originally surfaced years before Papazian joined the university in 2016, but she has faced criticism for the administration’s handling of the scandal and the school is still facing a lawsuit from a former deputy athletics director alleging school officials covered up misconduct by staff and students and retaliated against those who reported it.
“I will continue to participate in and support the ongoing external Title IX Procedural Investigation and investigations surrounding former SJSU Director of Sports Medicine Scott Shaw,” Papazian said in her statement. “This transition does not impact our intention and obligation to understand what occurred and how the university responded at the time. I made a promise to our community and to the affected student-athletes and their families, and I plan to honor it. My heart, apologies and prayers continue to be with those students who suffered a breach of trust during their time at the university.”
Jason Laker, a SJSU professor and previous whistleblower who sued the university for similar issues of covering up sexual harassment in the classroom, said he’s relieved and cautiously optimistic with the news.
“She has really been a damaging president in terms of campus climate, labor relations and protection of students and has not been a transparent person,” Laker said. “But she’s the fifth president since I got here in 2010. They keep getting replaced with ones worse than the ones before. I am hopeful there will be a path forward with a more open and inclusive executive team and president.”
It was not immediately clear who would replace Papazian.
In a statement, the school said California State University (CSU) Chancellor Joseph Castro would meet with campus stakeholders before naming an interim president and that the CSU board of trustees would begin a national search for the next president. The university has seen significant turnover at the top in the last couple of decades, with Papazian serving longer than many of her predecessors.
“President Papazian’s decision to resign from the presidency reflects her compassionate leadership,” Castro said in a statement. “While professionally and personally difficult, this step demonstrates her commitment to the university moving forward. We are grateful for the innovative educational services and cutting-edge resources that she and her team have put into place, which have positioned San Jose State University as a transformational higher learning institution.”
As part of the settlement, SJSU must overhaul its Title IX office, which investigates sex discrimination, in the coming years. Papazian’s resignation also comes as the university is tackling other controversial issues like campus policing. In its statement, SJSU praised Papazian for helping to take advantage of its Silicon Valley location by forging stronger partnerships with technology giants like IBM and LinkedIn, and for establishing the Division of Research and Innovation to help increase entrepreneurship among students, faculty and staff.
Before Papazian became San Jose State’s 30th president and just the third woman to lead the university, she served as president of Southern Connecticut State University and, earlier, as provost at Lehman College of the City university of New York. The Southern California native began her academic career as an English professor in Michigan.
“Her problem was similar to those of so many others — not dealing with the issue fast enough,” said Larry Gerston, a professor emeritus of political science at the university. “In today’s transparency climate, these issues must be dealt with immediately and openly.”
Check back for more on this developing story.