Controversial Cal Poly hire tied to college sex abuse scandal declines job offer

In an email to Cal Poly staff late Wednesday, university President Jeffrey Armstrong said that a controversial “emergency hire” for one of the university’s highest profile positions has declined the job offer after considerable blow-back.

Paulette Granberry Russell — who oversaw Michigan State University’s Title IX Office during one of the worst collegiate sex abuse scandals in U.S. history — is no longer considering a position as the university’s vice president of diversity and inclusion.

“First, let me say that I am always open to criticism, questions and protest, and I acknowledge and understand the concerns that many have raised,” Armstrong wrote in a lengthy message to staff Wednesday night. “However, I must express how disappointed I am that Paulette’s decision comes after outcry from some campus community members that was, to be frank, ill-informed, misplaced and in some cases downright vile.”

The sudden withdrawal comes after two online petitions from staff and students gathered more than 14,500 signatures by Wednesday night.

Faculty said Armstrong circumvented normal channels to hire Granberry Russell, who oversaw MSU’s Title IX office at the time MSU faculty member and doctor Larry Nassar sexually abused at least 250 women and girls, between 1992 and 2015.

According to various media reports, there were numerous complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by Nassar, the dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and a physiology professor, that were found to be mishandled by MSU administrators.

Nassar eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 175 years in state prison, as well as an additional 40 to 125 years for a host of charges related to sexual assault and child pornography.

Granberry Russell was not charged with any crimes related to the Nassar scandal.

In his email Wednesday night, Armstrong said both he and Granberry Russell had received “hateful and inhumane emails” as well as “a not-so-veiled death threat,” in response to her recent appointment.

“I know Paulette to be a woman of character and integrity and I believe every member of our community would have come to the same conclusion if they had the opportunity to meet, work with and learn from her,” Armstrong wrote. “I am disappointed that our campus will be deprived of more than two decades of expertise from a national leader in the field of higher education diversity, equity and inclusion — an area of significant and necessary focus for our university.”

The Tribune has requested public records from the Cal Poly President’s Office related to Granberry Russell’s appointment, but has not yet received those records.

Here is Armstrong’s full statement, sent to the Cal Poly campus community at 9:22 p.m. Wednesday:

“Dear Campus Community:

I am writing to update you on our vice president for diversity and inclusion position. I am disappointed to share that Paulette Granberry Russell informed me today that she has rescinded her acceptance of the position with Cal Poly.

First, let me say that I am always open to criticism, questions and protest, and I acknowledge and understand the concerns that many have raised. However, I must express how disappointed I am that Paulette’s decision comes after outcry from some campus community members that was, to be frank, ill-informed, misplaced and in some cases downright vile. Hateful and inhumane emails have also been sent to both Paulette and me, including a not-so-veiled death threat.

Clearly many disagree with my decision to offer Paulette a position at Cal Poly. I consider and respect these perspectives. However, I am deeply troubled and disappointed that members of our community have posted false claims, assumptions and accusations about Paulette as though they were fact. Regardless of the topic, I ask every member of our community to take the time to research the facts before making judgments and posting conclusions based on something they may have read online or heard on social media or elsewhere. As we all know, media stories and postings online often lack the detail and accurate information necessary to understand complex events and a detailed chain of events, such as the issues that occurred at Michigan State University (MSU). For those interested in Paulette’s history and qualifications, I urge you to research the matter and read the investigation reports and other publicly available information issued by the U.S. Department of Education, the NCAA and the State of Michigan Attorney General among others.

I ask all of you to consider how you would feel if people who didn’t know you were posting inaccuracies about your character and contributing to a frenzy of undue negativity about you. Paulette, like all of us, is a human being and deserves to be treated fairly. I’m saddened to say that some members of our own Cal Poly community went so far as to publicly encourage others to make Paulette feel as unwelcome and uncomfortable as possible at Cal Poly. That is the antithesis of inclusion, love, empathy and respect. These values shouldn’t apply only some of the time or only to certain people. These are values that we espouse and live every day and that we seek to impart on our students.

I know Paulette to be a woman of character and integrity and I believe every member of our community would have come to the same conclusion if they had the opportunity to meet, work with and learn from her. Several major investigations, including two separate investigations by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, as well as investigations by the NCAA, the State of Michigan Attorney General, and Michigan State University looked thoroughly at the incidents of criminal misconduct that occurred on MSU’s campus. None of these investigations concluded Paulette had any part in wrongdoing or had any connection to misconduct or criminal activity. If Paulette’s integrity and credibility were in question, she likely would not have remained employed by MSU through the many investigations that were conducted, nor would she have been elected by the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) to serve as the esteemed association’s current president — the first woman of color to hold that position.

I am disappointed that our campus will be deprived of more than two decades of expertise from a national leader in the field of higher education diversity, equity and inclusion — an area of significant and necessary focus for our university.

There have also been criticisms from some claiming the hiring process for Paulette was somehow secretive or nefarious. Let me address that by first clarifying that Paulette isn’t new to our campus. She was a finalist for the vice president for diversity and inclusion post in 2017, when Cal Poly first elevated the position to the President’s Cabinet level. Paulette was a strong candidate who was under serious consideration at that time. As a finalist, Paulette was fully vetted and her professional experience was viewed favorably by the search committee (which included representation from students, faculty and staff), as well as the campus community during a public campus forum (Jan. 23, 2017).

When we were informed this spring that Jozi De Leon intended to retire in June, we felt it was important to proceed quickly with an emergency hire to help maintain continuity of leadership and momentum for the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) at a time when the social justice movement in our country demands leadership for OUDI and our campus community. Given Paulette’s impressive qualifications and the fact that she was a known entity and had already been through the interview process on our campus, we moved forward with the emergency hire. While not typical, emergency hires are appropriate at Cal Poly and the CSU, and are written into our policies for these very situations — when there is an urgent need to make a quick hire.

Make no mistake, diversity, equity and inclusion will continue to be a primary focus for our university and this vice president role will continue to be a critical part of our campus’ senior leadership team. We will continue to work toward a campus community that values all of its members equally; that reflects the diversity of the state that we serve; that places all of its members on equal footing; and that fully prepares our students for success in today’s global society.

I recognize that we moved quickly to hire Paulette and I appreciate the calls for a greater degree of visibility and shared governance in the hiring process of this important position. Moving forward, we will slow down our efforts and conduct a full search, closely involving the campus community. I appreciate that Denise Isom, chair of our Ethnic Studies Department, has agreed to continue to lead the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion in the interim. Denise is a trusted and respected partner and I have full faith and confidence in her ability to help us move forward the many important initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion on our campus.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 10:48 PM.