Jury Awards $6M in CSU Harassment Case

The California State University system must pay $6 million to a former official at Cal State San Bernardino who accused administrators of harassment, The San Bernardino Sun reported.

Anissa Rogers, a former associate dean at CSUSB’s Palm Desert campus from 2019 through 2022, alleged that she and other female employees were subjected to “severe or pervasive” gender-based harassment by system officials. Rogers alleged she observed unequal treatment of female employees by university administrators, which was never investigated when she raised concerns. Instead, Rogers said, she was forced to resign after expressing concerns.

Rogers and Clare Weber, the former vice provost of the Palm Desert campus, sued the system and two San Bernardino officials in 2023. Weber alleged in the lawsuit that she was fired after expressing concerns about her low pay compared to male counterparts with similar duties.

That lawsuit was later split, and Weber’s case is reportedly expected to go to trial next year.

“Dr. Rogers stood up not only for herself, but also the other women who have been subjected to gender-based double standards within the Cal State system,” Courtney Abrams, the plaintiff’s attorney, told The San Bernadino Sun following a three-week trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A Cal State San Bernardino spokesperson told the newspaper that CSUSB was “disappointed by the verdict reached by the jury” and “we will be reviewing our options to assess next steps.”