Administrative misconduct will always garner attention. But when the scandal involves both sex and money, it can be easy to lose sight of the wrongs actually committed. Former UC Berkeley assistant vice chancellor Diane Leite has received sufficient repercussions for violating the university rules that govern sexual relationships between employees, based on the public evidence at this time. Still, the administration should allow an independent investigation of her conduct, as requested in a faculty letter, to maintain the campus community’s trust.
For Leite’s involvement in pay raises given to a sexual partner, she was demoted from her position as an assistant vice chancellor and had her pay reduced by more than $10,000 as of March 1. Many students, staff and faculty members see these penalties as too soft, and their demands range from further disciplinary action to her outright dismissal.
There is little doubt that Leite acted irresponsibly in her capacity as a manager when she did not remove herself from pay decisions regarding a sexual partner. Every part of UC Berkeley’s community has justification to be angry at her conduct, especially considering the state of their university’s finances. However, the punishment already exacted on Leite is compounded by the very public, constant shaming she has endured since the story broke on March 12.
Her ability to lead has been compromised by her improper actions and the ensuing media storm. Though further scrutiniy of Leite’s conduct would protract the ordeal, an independent investigation would ultimately engender much-needed confidence in UC Berkeley’s administration and only serve to determine the truth.
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The website ucpay.globl.org shows a clearer picture of Caniezo’s pay raises:
2006: Admin Specialist 31,983. no overtime no “extra pay”
2007: Admin Analyst, 53,231, 5,293 overtime, 11,199 extra pay
2008: Admin Analyst, 57,141, 16,655 overtime, 10,858 extra pay
2009: Admin Supervisor 2, 80,865, -2086 furlough, no overtime or extra pay
2010: Admin Supervisor 2, 96,733, no overtime, 7,606 extra pay.Here is the picture for most staff at UC during the same time frame: our pay was frozen between 2007 and 2011 (at which point we got mostly 3% raises and if anyone got higher than that departments would have to cover that increase, forever, out of their own funds). Caniezo was one of a favored few central office employees whose pay got jacked up so high in 2009 that they didn’t come close to feeling any effect from the furlough. As far as I know, other RES staff are paid “exempt time” and are expected to work without additional pay until their work is “done”. No overtime, no “extra pay”. The higher level administrative offices take care of their own, leaving the rest of us to be satisfied with platitudes about how hard we work and how much our work is valued. This is why there needs to be an investigation, and it needs to go beyond Diane Leite.
This is Diane Leite simply continuing her abuse of society. She
has weaved many into her web of deceit. Contra Costa County Supervisor Gayle
Uilkema and the County Planning Commission protected her and assisted her with
swindle of the Rodeo Swim Club a few years ago. Diane Leite led the swim club
into the ground, depriving her community of the benefits of a swimming
pool, and then sold the property to housing developers led by
less-than-reputable individual(s). Diane Leite garnered the support of
Supervisor Uilkema and county officials who rubber stamped the plans to crowd
too many units into the space, overriding and disrespecting Rodeo’s established
plan for growth in their own quest for tax dollars. After Diane Leite
spearheaded the sale, pocketing unknown amounts of money for herself, the
less-than-reputable developers dropped the ball, as did the County, and allowed
the property to fall into dangerous and hazardous disrepair, posing both a
health and safety hazard for the community. The violations at the
property are now at the state level and remain hazardous and unresolved. Diane
Leite put herself and her own personal financial gain before everyone else,
including the community she purports to support and then disappeared…to wreak
havoc at the expense of UC Berkeley and the University’s reputation.
The level of protection Diane Leite is afforded is outrageous.
It is NO SURPRISE that she is involved in this latest scandal. Her sense of
entitlement and her shameless disregard of the rules is offensive and it is
greatly disheartening that she enjoys the protection of those at the highest
levels. Hopefully she will be held accountable for this current matter like she
has not for her other willful deceptions which have afforded her financial gain.
lol public-sectoraments
I CANNOT BELIEVE that you published this! Leite (and her boss, Graham Fleming) should be FIRED for their actions regarding this matter. Leite’s actions in pushing though astronomic pay raises for her lover (over the objections of the lover’s immediate supervisor) effectively EMBEZZLED UC funds for Leite’s own personal benefit. The $10,000 pay reduction which Leite received is far LESS than the raises paid to Leite’s lover. Graham Fleming’s “discipline” of Leite in simply transferring her to a (newly-created) position of special “advisor” to Fleming also raises serious questions about Fleming’s competence and suitability for this position. As an alumn of Boalt Hall, who has donated thousands of dollars to the UC over the years, I am deeply offended at the cavalier way that Fleming and Leite spend UC money. Until they are gone, the UC need not ask me for further contributions!
http://www.change.org/petitions/end-corrupt-uc-berkeley-official-diane-leite
[Former UC Berkeley assistant vice chancellor Diane Leite has received sufficient repercussions for violating the university rules that govern sexual relationships between employees, based on the public evidence at this time.]
WHAT? Do you realize that anyone who did the same thing in the private sector would have been FIRED, and possibly charged with criminal acts such as fraud and embezzlement as well?
Sorry, but for supposed Cal students, this “senior editorial board” is packed with clueless idiots.
Wow. Very insightful. Cal has clueless idiots writing articles along with corrupt administrators. Wake up America, Predatory State is live and Cal is another scam!
The editors are applying a double standard to sexual harassment. If the harasser had been male and had actually pressured a young female assistant for sex, then the editors would be calling for his termination. Diane Leite violated the sexual harassment policies and all she got was a slight pay cut? Not only that, she is no longer managing anyone yet her pay scale is still for a high level manager?
Despite all that has happened Diane’s libido may be a blessing in disguise. The sensational headlines she generated may convince California voters not to raise taxes, which will encourage businesses to relocate to California and rejuvenate our economy, thus showering UC with money once more.
I would bet a lot of money if the sexes were reversed it’d result in someone being fired rather than $10,000 fine as well. This remind anyone else of a certain South Park episode?
Sufficient repercussions? Hardly. Sexual harassment is just the tip of the iceberg; Leite’s conduct was fraudulent. If I were to steal $10,000 from my employer, it would be felony embezzlement. She and her rent-boy have stolen many times that, and they should both be charged.
Who wrote this article? Diane Leite? This article needs to redacted and reissued so that it addresses the concerns of the public. It’s funny how Diane Leite was only found to be in violation of the sexual harassment policy. We all know that she is guilty of other offenses and should have been found guilty of also misusing state funds and charged with fraud and embezzlement. Anybody that is openly willing to engage is such illegal behavior is clearly not fit to be a leader at UC Berkeley. If an independent investigation is ever conducted I’m sure that a few others will also be found guilty; which may be the reason she received the so called “sufficient repercussions” that we all know is nothing more than a father’s slap on the wrist.
The Daily Cal must be getting paid by administrators to “wash” her name in the press because the tone of this article seems to indicate they feel sorry for Diane Leite. Well Daily Cal keep up the good work, use your propaganda to justify wrong. Daily Cal is nothing more than another example of corruption with propaganda, I’m sure your writers have a promising career at Fox news.
[The Daily Cal must be getting paid by administrators to "wash" her name in the press because the tone of this article seems to indicate they feel sorry for Diane Leite.]
That was my initial gut reaction as well, but if you look at most of the other editorials written by this “senior editorial board”, it’s merely indicative of the fact that they are clueless children, incapable of critical evaluation of the issues.