UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi Placed on Administrative Leave, Hires Lawyer

SAN DIEGO — The University of California put Chancellor Linda Katehi on indefinite leave Wednesday after it was found she paid $175,000 to corporations who censored Google searches of the criticized 2011 pepper spraying incident, when campus police showered sit-in protestors with mace.

By removing Katehi from her position of seven years, UC President Janet Napolitano intends on investigating the actions of the Chancellor in depth. The President will appoint an independent investigator to determine if any university policies have been violated under Katehi’s administration.

In response to the University of California’s motion, Melinda Guzman, a Sacramento attorney, released a statement on behalf of Katehi vowing to “ vigorously defend Linda’s professional reputation and her standing as Chancellor of the university she loves.”

The statement reads:

Tonight’s action is disappointing, unprecedented and, based on the facts, entirely unjustified.

Since the day she was hired, the chancellor has given her unwavering devotion to fulfilling the fundamental public mission of UC Davis and doing everything the UC President and Board of Regents have asked her to.

By any measure — and according to numerous voices throughout the Davis and Sacramento communities — her leadership has helped put the university on a path to globally recognized excellence and historic diversity. More Californians than ever before — including more women and more students of color — are receiving a world-class education at UC Davis under her stewardship.

This smacks of scapegoating and a rush to judgment driven purely by political optics, not the best interests of the university or the UC system as a whole.

The Chancellor welcomes an independent, objective investigation and a full release of all relevant documents and public records.

Make no mistake: we intend to vigorously defend Linda’s professional reputation and her standing as Chancellor of the university she loves.

Ralph Hexter, the campus provost, will act as the interim Chancellor of UC Davis until the investigation is completed.

Source: The Davis Enterprise