AB 1790 implements recommendations of the California State Auditor’s investigation into sexual harassment complaints at California State Universities
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 1790, a bill that will require the California State University (CSU) system to strengthen protections against sexual harassment and update their policies regarding how the Universities process sexual harassment complaints and allegations. These improvements were outlined in a 2022 report conducted by the California State Auditor (Auditor) assessing the CSU’s handling of sexual harassment complaints against employees. After investigating sexual harassment case files at four CSU campuses, including Sonoma State University, the committee determined that some allegations of sexual harassment had not been adequately or consistently addressed.
“By implementing AB 1790, we can make our California State Universities safer for students and faculty by ensuring sexual harassment and assault allegations don’t slip through the cracks,” said Assemblymember Damon Connolly. “The recommendations provided by the State Auditor regarding CSU policies is critical to the livelihood and wellbeing of our local students at Sonoma State University and campuses throughout the state.”
The California State Auditor’s report highlighted that a lack of detailed guidelines in the CSU sexual harassment policy caused credible cases to slip through the cracks without a formal investigation into the allegations or appropriate disciplinary action. In fact, one campus found a faculty member guilty of sexual harassment, but no action was taken for more than half decade, after the statute of limitations had passed. Sonoma State University, one of the four campuses reviewed in the investigation, submitted an incomplete list of sexual harassment reports missing items and key details when prompted by the investigation. Even after the auditor’s investigation, data including names of involved parties, timelines, and outcomes of reports were still missing or inadequately reported.
AB 1790 implements the recommendations outlined by the Auditor in their report on the California State University’s sexual harassment policies. The report recommends the Chancellor’s Office must have a more active role in providing oversight on handling of sexual harassment allegations. This oversight includes standardizing data collection, thorough analysis of problematic trends and consistent attention to adequately address sexual harassment allegations. AB 1790 will enforce standardized guidelines for all CSU formal investigations into allegations of sexual harassment, develop a policy for each campus to track timelines of sexual harassment cases, and ensure that employees found to have engaged in sexual harassment cannot procure positive employment references. Further, the bill requires that on or before December 1, 2026, the California State University must submit to the State Legislature a report on the status of implementing the recommendations, as well as a summary of results from campus compliance reviews.
AB 1790 is currently waiting to be assigned to a policy committee.
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Assemblymember Connolly represents the entirety of Marin County and Southern Sonoma County