The Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favor of the California State University Board of Trustees yesterday, saying the board did not violate a California law mandating open public meetings when it awarded Cal State Poly San Luis Obispo President Jeffrey Armstrong a $350,000 salary.
The lawsuit was brought against the board by the California Faculty Association and asked for the removal of the newly hired Cal Poly president.
The court denied this request Tuesday, saying CFA President Lillian Taiz cited “no authority” when saying that Armstrong’s $350,000 salary was accompanied with a raise in presidential pay scales.
Taiz claimed the Board did not provide a public notice for a meeting that approved a resolution to award Armstrong’s salary, which technically increased the presidential salary scale by $20,000 — from about $330,000 to $350,000.
However, the court explained that evidence shows the CSU did not set presidential pay scales but considered and approved “the starting salary and any compensation increases for CSU presidents on an individual basis.”
The court ruling pointed to this error in Taiz’s claim, and acknowledged that the CSU did not make any move to increase current presidential salaries as a group.
“The court’s ruling confirms that the case brought by Taiz had very little merit,” said Erik Fallis, a CSU spokesman. “The CSU has demonstrated, once again, its commitment to transparency in accordance with law, policy and university practice.”
The court negated Taiz’s request further by defending the CSU’s executive compensation process and Armstrong’s relocation fees, vehicle allowance, and other benefits that are included in the presidential position.
“Additionally, Taiz and the faculty union continue to make a mistaken claim that there is general change in presidential compensation,” Fallis said. “No sitting president has received a raise since 2007.”
Taiz highlighted her concern on the CFA website yesterday.
“The floodgates at the top were opened without even letting the public know,” Taiz said in a CFA press release. “And it happened at the exact time the chancellor has been cutting back on class offerings, laying off teachers, turning away students and slamming students with steep fee hikes.”
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