A new independent report has found that Chico State followed proper procedures when investigating a former professor. David Stachura had a sexual relationship with a student and allegedly threatened gun violence against other professors. He was allowed back on campus following an internal investigation, and promoted to full professor. NSPR’s Alec Stutson spoke with EdSource Investigative Reporter Thomas Peele about what the new report revealed.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
On what prompted the report
This was a report that originated with a request from the Academic Senate at Fresno State almost a year ago. After some of my original reporting on the threats of gun violence and other things about Dr. Stachura, the CSU Chancellor's office hired a lawyer from San Diego to do the report. And the report was then released back to Chico State.
On the effect of the report
It really doesn’t have any power. The report doesn't make any recommendations to improve anything, that wasn't part of what was asked for in the contract with the lawyer. It gives the university some coverage just to say ‘Hey, we farmed this out to an outside expert who didn't find anything wrong, didn't find any mishandling of how the situation unfolded in the years and months before it came to light.’
On the community’s reaction
I’ve talked to people both on background and for attribution, and they're dismissive of it because they think that the report was orchestrated in a way to give the university cover, and is less than intellectually honest about the events that happened.
On Stachura’s status after being removed
He has a three year workplace violence restraining order in place against him. He can't go on the campus or near the campus, he can't go anywhere near the people that he threatened and people who are subject to the restraining order.
He lost a motion recently where he has to pay the University's legal fees for its defense in a libel case that he brought against a professor. He's being investigated for retaliation for some of the threats that he allegedly made against professors who reported his sexual affair with the student.
On other report findings
There were a couple of revelations. It does state that former Chico State President Gayle Hutchison was aware of both the finding that Stachura had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student, and the alleged threats to kill professors who turned him in. And yet she agreed to promote him to full professor. And that's really the first time that Hutchinson has been directly linked to any of the personnel matters involving Stachura.
Editor’s note: NSPR reached out to university officials for comment. They said they are pleased the report has been released and do not dispute the timeline of events it lays out.
