Sonoma State president retires day after placed on leave over agreement with pro-Palestinian group

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A day after the California State University chancellor placed Sonoma 
State's president on leave, the school system announced the president's 
retirement.

Previous coverage in the video player above

"President Ming-Tung ‘Mike’ Lee has informed me of his decision to retire 
from his role at Sonoma State University," a statement from CSU Chancellor 
Mildred Garcia said in a statement. "I thank President Lee for his years 
of service to the California State University—starting at California State 
University, Sacramento—and to higher education overall. I wish him and his 
family well.

Garcia placed Lee on leave, citing "insubordination" over his making an 
agreement with a pro-Palestinian group to pursue an academic boycott of 
Israeli institutions and "divestment strategies."

Lee quickly issued an apology for the agreement.

“In my attempt to find agreement with one group of students, I 
marginalized other members of our student population and community. I 
realize the harm that this has caused, and I take full ownership of it,” 
Lee said in a statement.

In his original message, Lee endorsed student activism, protest and 
dissent.

Garcia in her statement said she is working with acting president Nathan 
Evans and the Board of Trustees while figuring out the next steps in 
replacing Lee, who also served at Sacramento State for 28 years.

At Sac State, one of the other 23 campuses comprising the CSU, the 
university updated its policies in response to an encampment also on its 
campus.

The policy, which does not specifically list Israel as its target, "is 
intentionally meant to cover the many atrocities and challenges that are 
taking place all over the world," Sacramento State said.

The updated policies say the university "condemns all acts of genocide, 
ethnic cleansing, terrorism and other activities that violate fundamental 
human rights."

One of the changes says the university's foundation does not have 
investments in "corporations and funds that profit from genocide, ethnic 
cleansing and activities that violate fundamental human rights." The 
change in policy says the university "nevertheless" directs the 
foundation's finance committee to ensure its investment portfolios steer 
clear of such investments.

Colleges across the campus have become the epicenter for protesters and 
demonstrators decrying Israel's actions in Gaza. The retaliation and 
response by some school systems has prompted an academic workers strike 
across the University of California system. This is the first strike of 
its kind because it is political by nature.

https://www.kcra.com/article/sonoma-state-president-mike-lee-
retires/60827358