Cal State San Bernardino President Moves Forward Despite Controversy

Even after receiving a $12 million legal settlement over serious allegations of workplace misconduct, outgoing Cal State San Bernardino President Tomas Morales appears set for an easy transition.

Morales is reported to be in “good standing,” which means he qualifies for a beneficial executive transition package. This would let him keep his university salary and potentially return to his faculty role.

On Wednesday, the California State University Board of Regents is expected to vote on granting him the honorary title of president emeritus.

The university has not disclosed what Morales’ new position will entail, stating only that details about his title and salary will be revealed at the upcoming meeting.

In 2024, Morales earned $655,626 in salary and benefits, according to Transparent California.

This offer comes after California State University agreed to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit from former administrators Claire Webber and Anissa Rogers. They accused Morales and former Palm Desert campus dean Jake Zhu of creating a toxic work environment riddled with sexual discrimination, retaliation, and bullying.

Notably, the university has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the settlement.

A faculty leader, along with the two women involved in the lawsuit, criticized the decision. They argued that Morales should not receive compensation given what they termed a “cesspool of gender harassment and discrimination.”

“This lawsuit raises serious questions about whether President Morales should be considered well-positioned to serve these interests,” stated Thomas Corrigan, communications coordinator for the California State Teachers Association’s San Bernardino chapter.

“Dr. Rogers and Dr. Weber’s case stands out as a moral outrage with significant economic, reputational, and human costs,” he added.

In fact, the teachers union has already called for the CSU system to withhold some of Morales’ retirement-related benefits in 2024.

“We feel that under his leadership, he was not an effective leader and therefore should not be rewarded,” said union branch president Tiffany Jones.

Weber and Rogers also submitted public comments urging the board to reconsider Morales’ status before approving any transition package or honorary title.

Weber was dismissed after she raised concerns regarding the gender pay gap among CSU’s vice presidents, claiming she was asked to resign after pushing for a salary increase. When she refused, she was terminated.

“I specifically expressed concerns that female lieutenant governors were underpaid due to their gender,” Weber noted in an email to Morales prior to her dismissal.

Rogers, who served as associate dean at the Palm Desert campus, shared that while male colleagues were respected, women often faced derogatory treatment.

“My interview went perfectly,” she recounted. “Then I found myself in a nightmare.”

She added that she was ultimately presented with an ultimatum: either quit or be fired.

“I refer to it as being fired,” Rogers explained, recalling, “They said, ‘Either resign or we will let you go.’”

The lawsuit also claimed that Morales frequently belittled and threatened female staff, applying stricter standards than those given to male employees.

Concerns regarding Morales’ leadership surfaced before this lawsuit. A campus survey in 2016 revealed that over 60% of employees felt conditions had deteriorated under his administration, leading to a no-confidence motion by the Faculty Senate citing issues like bullying and favoritism.

Additionally, Morales faced a no-confidence vote during his time as president at the College of Staten Island before joining California State University, San Bernardino.

In his defense, Zhu claimed his management style was aimed at creating change rather than stemming from malice or discrimination.

The legal proceedings were eventually divided into separate lawsuits. Rogers secured a $6 million jury award in October 2025, while Weber agreed to a different $6 million settlement prior to going to trial.