Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published October 21, 2024 5:00 AM
Retired teachers Joe and Teresa Tortomasi installed solar and battery storage on their Sierra Madre home allowing them to keep the power on during recent heat-driven outages.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
It’s finally feeling like Fall in Southern California, but we just sweated through the hottest summer on record. That extreme heat caused power outages in many areas, but some people avoided them thanks to solar panels and battery storage on their homes.
The background: It’s been more than a year since new state rules for rooftop solar went into effect. The state argued the new rules would boost solar plus storage, but so far installations have only slowed.
The big picture: More battery storage on homes, schools, businesses and other buildings can help the power grid avoid power outages and boost individual household climate resilience.
Keep reading...to meet retirees who rode out recent power outages with their solar panels and home battery and to learn why solar-plus-storage matters in a hotter world.
Rooftop solar and battery storage helped these retirees ride out recent power outages. Why isn’t it more widespread?
But some people avoided them — and even helped prevent more widespread outages across the power grid.
In a place of relatively frequent power outages: A power island
Joe and Teresa Tortomasi were one of those households whose power never went off during an extended extreme heat wave in early September. They live in Sierra Madre, a small city nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains.
“We're in what they call the Upper Canyon,” Joe told me when I visited them at their quaint, light blue painted home with white shutters. “This is very un-L.A. No offense to L.A., it's just very rural.”
“He's saying that because we live right next to the mountains, so as we sit here outside, we feel like we're in the mountains,” added his wife Teresa. “And every time people visit us from anywhere in the L.A. area, they say ‘is this L.A.?’”
Joe and Teresa Tortomasi outside their home in Sierra Madre. Solar panels that connect to a battery are on their roof.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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The house is in a neighborhood full of whimsical cabins along winding canyon roads. Bobcats, coyotes, bears and other critters are frequent visitors.
The retired teachers have lived here for nearly 40 years. This area has long had relatively frequent power outages because of where it’s located on the broader grid — when circuit breakers or distribution lines are overloaded, there aren’t options for Southern California Edison (SCE) to reroute power here through other lines. Basically, the canyon is at the end of the line.
While doing their part to cut pollution was a big factor in the Tortomasis' decision to install solar panels and battery storage, the power outages plus rising energy costs were also major reasons.
“We tend to have blackouts up in the canyon and we were just getting tired of it,” said Joe.
In their years living here, despite the work SCE has done to fortify the lines serving the canyon, the Tortomasis said power outages have gotten more frequent.
“Mostly because of the warming temperatures,” Teresa said. “30 years ago, it wasn't like this. We can really see the difference and the climate change. When we had that excruciating weather a couple of weeks ago, we were the only ones in our little corner of the canyon [who] still had power.”
When we had that excruciating weather a couple of weeks ago, we were the only ones in our little corner of the canyon [who] still had power.
— Teresa Tortomasi
That’s because they now have solar panels and a battery. In early September, temperatures here reached as high as 110 degrees and much of the canyon lost power for hours.
“All our neighbors always check with each other, so we were getting texts saying, 'do you have power? Do you have power?’ And we just told everybody, ‘If you need anything, just come over here, because we have power,’” Teresa said.
Teresa and Joe Tortomasi stand beside their 13 kilowatt hour battery, which stores energy from their solar panels to support their whole home, and can also offload excess power to the broader power grid.
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More energy use, lower bills
This summer was also the first time the Tortomasis can remember having to keep their air conditioning going at night.
“We had no cool air at night — our night time was still 85 degrees outside, and it was the first time in our almost 40 years here that we actually did not open our windows at night,” said Teresa.
The Tortomasis have a smartphone app to monitor their solar panels and battery storage.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Even though the Tortomasis had to use more electricity, that increased use didn't further strain the power grid we all rely on because they were using power from their battery.
And instead of their costs going up because they have to use more energy due to hotter days and nights, the Tortomasis' electricity bill is in the negatives.
They had to dig into their savings to pay for the solar and battery — as well as install a new roof for the panels and upgrade their electric panel — but they’re now saving money because of the excess power they sell back to the grid.
“We're really making our money back," Joe said. "I mean, we don't have to pay any electric bills."
Plus, living in a high-risk fire area, they don't have to worry about SCE shutting off their power to prevent fires during high-risk weather.
We feel safer.
— Joe Tortomasi
“We feel safer,” said Joe.
“I don't have that stress of always being worried that the power might go out,” said Teresa.
Policy changes have slowed solar-plus-battery market
Under the new rules, the state cut how much solar users get paid back for the excess energy they generate. Instead, people who install solar and battery storage will get a better deal when they sell excess energy from their batteries during high-demand times of the evening.
The white Tesla box is the battery gateway, which orchestrates the home's energy sources and loads, including automatically switching to offload power to the grid during critical times.
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In the decision, which only applies to investor-owned utilities, the California Public Utilities Commission argued the previous incentives for rooftop solar were leading to higher costs for people without solar — a claim that solar advocates and some economic models refute — and that it was time to instead incentivize solar-plus-battery storage.
That’s because we now have more solar power during the day than we can use, so we need to be able to store more of that power for when the sun goes down.
But batteries are still really expensive. Vic Aguilar, who installed the Tortomasis' system, said the cost for a solar-plus-battery system ranges from about $15,000 to more than $120,000.
Vic Aguilar has been in the solar business for 18 years.
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“The upfront capital expenditure with the new rules is significantly greater because it involves the batteries,” Aguilar said. “The batteries generally double the cost of an average project.”
And, under the new rules, the timeline for breaking even on that investment is now eight to 12 years, instead of six to eight years.
Solar panels on a home in Ladera Heights, a community southeast of Los Angeles.
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Lauren Justice
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CalMatters
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Aguilar — better known as Solar Vic by Sierra Madre locals — has been in the business for 18 years and owns the company Sustainergy Advisors. While his clients in new housing developments and large households have grown, Aguilar said he’s seen a big decline in his middle and lower-income customers since the new state rules went into effect last April.
“There’s still a compelling economic argument that can be made, especially with the larger households — they use so much energy that even under [the new rules] they’re saving ginormous amounts of money,” Aguilar said.
Industry decline outpaces growth of battery installs
Since the new rules went into effect last year, the solar market has dropped 60% and about 17,000 solar jobs have been cut, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, director of solar industry trade group California Solar and Storage Association.
Ken Wells founded O&M Solar Services, a small residential solar company in South Los Angeles.
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Lauren Justice
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CalMatters
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More than lost business
Ken Wells, who grew up in Compton, got a fresh start through the solar industry.
At 15 years old, he was arrested and incarcerated — it was while he was inside that he read a book about solar and green jobs. When he got out six years later, he trained as a solar installer through a Homeboy Industries program. In 2018, he launched O&M Solar Services with a mission to serve clients in South L.A. and hire formerly incarcerated people, such as himself.
“I saw this industry as a viable opportunity for these individuals to be able to not just get a job, but get a career, get a new identity and have purpose in what they're doing each and every day,” Wells said.
To Wells, his business wasn’t just a way to support himself, but a way to support his community and a healthier future for all.
“When I hired guys, I wasn't just hiring them, giving them jobs. I was...working with them long term to build themselves up and get out of their circumstances,” Wells said.
“Had I got out and went to a warehouse or to an oil refinery, like most people who come home from prison do,” Wells added, “I don’t think I would have developed to the level that I have been able to as an entrepreneur. I don't know another industry that I could have gotten into that would have helped me develop as an individual like this industry has.”
“More people that are going solar today are adding a battery, which is good, but the overall decline in the market does not make up for the growth in storage,” said Del Chiaro. “So we've actually set ourselves back with energy storage, contrary to what the policymakers say their intentions were.”
Ken Wells founded South L.A.-based O&M Solar Services in 2018, and had both solar and solar-plus-storage clients. But after the new rules went into effect he had to close his business and lay off his 30 employees.
“There was just this huge drop and I went from doing 20 to 30 projects a month to just seven or one a week,” Wells said. “I was already facing barriers financing my company and getting the capital to scale, so most of what I was doing was bootstrapping. I was taking my money and putting it right back into my business.”
“So when this happened,” Wells added. “I was unable to sustain any longer and I unfortunately had to close my doors, let all my guys go.”
Wells said he’s working to build back his company, but has since shifted into consulting.
Ken Wells walks outside a home with solar panels in Ladera Heights.
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Lauren Justice
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CalMatters
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Why more "distributed energy" matters for the whole power grid
Many solar advocates say the change in policy hurts the grid overall.
The Tortomasis, for example, are part of what’s called a virtual power plant. It’s made up of their home, along with nearly 3,000 other homes that also have solar and batteries.
The app connected to the Tortomasis solar and storage system also shows the virtual power plant they're part of with other Southern California Edison customers.
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Erin Stone
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“You're aggregating them into a fleet so they can all work in concert, like a flock of birds, on demand,” Aguilar explained.
You're aggregating them into a fleet so they can all work in concert, like a flock of birds, on demand.
— Vic Aguilar, solar installer, Sustainergy Advisors
Southern California Edison can pull energy from this residential battery fleet to support the grid when it’s most strained, particularly during hot summer evenings.
That not only helps the utility avoid widespread power outages, but it also reduces the need to power up highly polluting backup generators when extreme, prolonged heat risks brownouts or blackouts.
Joe Tortomasi looks at the 13 kilowatt hour battery that is installed on his home in Sierra Madre.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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In 2022, that’s exactly what happened: The state’s grid operator sent out flex alerts — those urgent texts to conserve energy — after a gas-fired peaker power plant generator unexpectedly went offline. To avoid massive blackouts, the state pulled energy from batteries attached to homes, schools and businesses across the state.
“If you take these millions of small systems — they're all highly coordinated, highly technical systems that we're putting up in our garages — they can act like a coordinated power plant and turn on a dime to provide value to the state,” Del Chiaro said.
How much distributed energy storage does the state have?
The state estimates that by 2045, we'll need 52,000 megawatts of battery storage to unhook nearly completely from polluting and planet-heating fossil fuels.
More than 11,000 megawatts of that is from huge utility-scale batteries. The rest is from "distributed" sources: batteries on homes, businesses, schools and government buildings.
“This last summer they were a big part of our resiliency,” said Aguilar. “They really were what saved the grid. And not just on the big utility scale where there are container fields of these giant batteries. A lot of it is happening on a distributed basis.”
A map of where distributed battery storage is across the state. The majority is in Southern California.
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California Public Utilities Commission
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LAist
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And it’s all automated. The Tortomasis don’t have to do anything — they just know where their power’s going via a smartphone app.
“People say, ‘oh the technology is not ready yet,’ Aguilar said. “And they have no idea the robustness, the incredibleness of what we have right now. The renewable revolution is just in time. We are at the stage to implement, implement, implement.”
A graph showing how California's distributed battery storage has increased over time. Most of the growth is in the residential sector.
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California Public Utilities Commission
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LAist
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Most of the distributed battery storage in California is on people's homes.
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California Public Utilities Commission
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LAist
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Tips if you're considering solar-plus-battery storage
Solar panels are made to last at least 25 years, so you want to make sure you’re making a good investment.
Talk to friends and neighbors who have solar about what they wish they’d known and their experience
Talk to at least two or three installers before choosing one
Have your roof checked out before going all in because you may need to re-roof
Consider your total electric use and future use — you will likely need to upgrade your electric panel (a contractor can help with this)
Find a contractor who knows the rules for the specific electric utility you pay your bills to, as well as the financial incentives available for the install
On that note, also do your own research on the rules for solar and storage from your electricity provider. For example, Pasadena Water and Power has different rules from Southern California Edison.
Check out our guide on financial incentives for going electric
Consider if you want your whole home to be backed up, or just critical functions
Consider your main reasons for going solar because no single system can do it all: do you want to save on bills? Do you want to maximize resiliency? Do you want to eliminate your carbon pollution?
Consider a contractor who values ethical and sustainable sourcing of panels and batteries
Skylight Books in Los Feliz is one of 13 stores participating in the Indie Book Crawl.
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Robert Gauthier
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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In this edition:
This weekend, check out the first L.A. indie bookstore crawl, Recoding the Codex, Sounds of L.A. County and more.
Highlights:
You might spend more time driving than reading, but whoever says L.A. isn’t a book town has it all wrong. Visit 13 independent booksellers at theinaugural L.A. Indie Book Crawlfrom Venice to Ventura, Pasadena to the Palisades, at this first-of-its-kind small-business celebration.
Narsiso Martinez is one of the featured artists at the new exhibit, ReCoding the Codex at ReflectSpace, which opens Saturday in Glendale. The show features artists from the U.S. and Korea addressing “colonization, Japanese American incarceration, and exploitation of agricultural workers, creating an international dialogue about harnessing the power of text and word in innovative ways.”
Sounds of L.A. County features three great concerts across the area. This Saturday, George Lane Park hosts Country Nights with Breakin' Boots, DJ Maxey, Gilbert Louie Ray Band; East Rancho Domínguez Park in East Compton features the Utopia One Love Summer Fest: Awdiv Band, KG Superstar, DJ Adé, Jerry Flores, DJ UnieQ and Joy Christos; and San Angelo Park in La Puente has the Gabby Tamez Corazón Norteño Tour: Gabby Tamez, Jessica Ballesteros and Grupo La Virtud.
I spent last Saturday night in a time machine to the '90s, reliving my high school days at the Hollywood Bowl, where I realized I knew nearly every note of the Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors and Blues Traveler lineup. If you also donned Doc Martens and flannel once upon a time (or still do!), you’re in luck with this weekend’s music picks, too.
Lyndsey Parker at Licorice Pizza recommends the Totally Tubular '80’s festival at the Hollywood Palladium on Friday if you want to swap the Docs for Day-Glo, or you can catch early aughts favorites the Fray and Dashboard Confessional at the YouTube Theater.
On Saturday, legends Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight are at the Hollywood Bowl, Walk Off the Earth plays the United Theater, and KCRW Summer Nights features Tijuana Panthers, Mariachi El Bronx and more at Grand Performances, free with RSVP.
Sunday has Summer Sounds with Nikka Costa, free at West Hollywood’s Plummer Park; Teddy Thompson at McCabe’s; or the Pacific Amphitheatre is back to the ‘90s with Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth and Tonic. And of course, the Vans Warped Tour is on, with 3OH!3, All Time Low, Bowling For Soup, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind and dozens more all weekend long at Long Beach’s Shoreline Waterfront.
This weekend, Sounds of L.A. County features three great concerts across the area. All summer long, you can catch local and international sounds at parks and unique venues around L.A. This Saturday, George Lane Park hosts Country Nights with Breakin' Boots, DJ Maxey, Gilbert Louie Ray Band; East Rancho Domínguez Park in East Compton features the Utopia One Love Summer Fest: Awdiv Band, KG Superstar, DJ Adé, Jerry Flores, DJ UnieQ and Joy Christos; and San Angelo Park in La Puente has the Gabby Tamez Corazón Norteño Tour, featuring Gabby Tamez, Jessica Ballesteros and Grupo La Virtud.
ReCoding the Codex: Cultural Heritage through Language
Through Oct. 10; Opening reception Saturday, July 25, 6:30 p.m. ReflectSpace Glendale Central Library 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy ReflectSpace
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At Frieze in 2023, Narsiso Martinez blew me away with his images of agricultural workers on CSA farm boxes. He’s one of the featured artists at the new exhibit, ReCoding the Codex, at ReflectSpace, which opens Saturday. The show features artists from the U.S. and Korea addressing “colonization, Japanese American incarceration, and exploitation of agricultural workers, creating an international dialogue about harnessing the power of text and word in innovative ways.”
Disco Vino
Friday, July 24, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Little Dom's 2128 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz COST: FROM $25; MORE INFO
The ever-popular Barnsdall Friday night wine events are getting the extra special treatment this week, as WONDERWERK takes over the event with Silver Lake Wine (tickets here) and then hosts an after-party at the delish Los Feliz standby Little Dom’s. From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., guests will enjoy WONDERWERK pours with the purchase of a $25 glass you can keep, light bites and an all-vinyl DJ set from Chelsea Dean, who will be spinning house, funk and disco records in the Little Dom’s deli.
Los Angeles Indie Book Crawl
Through Sunday, July 26 Various locations COST: FREE; MORE INFO
A map of the LA region and all the Indie Book Crawl locations.
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LA Indie Book Crawl
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You might spend more time driving than reading, but whoever says L.A. isn’t a book town has it all wrong. Visit 13 independent booksellers from Venice to Ventura, and Pasadena to the Palisades, at this first-of-its-kind small-business celebration. Dañiel Andres Martinez spoke to some of the folks organizing it; read up on the event here and head out to find your next read this weekend.
Introductory Welding Workshop
Saturday, July 25, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Lincoln Electric 12979 Sandoval St.,Santa Fe Springs COST: $125; MORE INFO
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Women Who Weld
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Eventbrite
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Women Who Weld is a Detroit-based nonprofit that teaches women how to weld and find employment in the welding industry. Their one-day L.A. workshop on Saturday is already sold out, but it’s worth getting on the waitlist if your 2026 bucket list includes learning metalwork in a safe, inclusive environment.
Pretzel Fest
Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26; Saturday, August 1 Old World Biergarten 7561 Center Ave. #49, Huntington Beach COST: FROM $5; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Old World Biergarten
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We may be a few months away from Oktoberfest, but get a head start by celebrating everyone’s favorite twisty treat at Pretzel Fest. With tons of pretzels, plus other food, beer, family-friendly events and free parking, there’s no need to get salty.
The Legacy of Jesse Ed Davis
Saturday, July 25, 6 p.m. Venice Heritage Museum 1234 Pacific Ave., Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Jesse Ed Davis was an indigenous rock star and Venice resident who died in 1988; now he’s the focus of a new book, Washita Love Child: The Rise of Indigenous Rock Star Jesse Ed Davis. Learn more about him during a special presentation in partnership with Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Bob Dylan Center by author Dr. Douglas Miller and a Q&A with legendary musicians Jim Keltner, Elliot Easton, Bob Glaub and Mark Shark. Plus, there will be a live musical performance by Scott McCaughey.
Elly Yu
reports on early childhood. From housing to health, she covers issues facing the youngest Angelenos and their families.
Published July 23, 2026 5:00 AM
Alpha School, an AI-powered school, plans to open up its second location in Santa Monica at what used to be the Santa Monica Montessori School.
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Agustin Aleman
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For LAist
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Topline:
A Montessori school in Santa Monica founded in 1960 that focused on child-led learning closed its doors last Friday. A new AI-powered school is moving in and plans to open this fall.
What’s new: Parents with children at Santa Monica Montessori School, which served kids from preschool through 5th grade, said they learned about the abrupt closure of the school with a little over a week’s notice.
The backstory: Parents said they received a letter dated July 5 in which the school’s director, Pamela Crisman, wrote that the decision to close "was not made lightly.” “Due to family circumstances that now require my full attention, I have made the difficult decision to prioritize those responsibilities after much reflection and consideration,” Crisman wrote. Crisman, who became the school’s director in 2003 according to the school’s website, has not responded to LAist’s repeated requests for comment.
A new school: Alpha School, an “AI-powered private school,” plans to open up its second Santa Monica location at the site of the old Montessori school this fall, said MacKenzie Price, the school's co-founder.
A Montessori school in Santa Monica founded in 1960 closed its doors last Friday. Now, a new AI-powered school plans to move in and open this fall.
Parents with children at Santa Monica Montessori School, which served kids from preschool through elementary, said they learned about the abrupt closure of the school with a little over a week’s notice.
“We were surprised, like everyone else — it was a pretty established place … a lot of great community, teachers, students,” said Michael Ho, a parent of a 4-year-old that attended the school for about two years. He had planned to keep his 4-year-old there for the following school year and had put in a deposit.
Parents said they received a letter dated July 5 in which the school’s director, Pamela Crisman wrote that "the decision was not made lightly."
“Due to family circumstances that now require my full attention, I have made the difficult decision to prioritize those responsibilities after much reflection and consideration,” the letter said. “Beginning in August, a new school will assume occupancy of the facility as they prepare for the upcoming academic year.”
Crisman, who became the school’s director in 2003 according to the school’s website, has not responded to LAist’s repeated requests for comment.
The school is among a growing number of preschools that have closed in recent years in L.A. County and across the state. A report by UC Berkeley researchers found that between 2020 and 2024, at least 167 pre-K centers across L.A. county have closed. That’s as enrollment in universal transitional kindergarten — the new grade for 4-year-olds in public schools — has grown.
“ It's so heartbreaking that, we won't have that community resource to teach kids in such a humanistic way,” said Alex Mulvaney, a parent of two who attended the school, and had planned to send his third child there. He said he understands businesses close, but was upset by the short notice. “You don’t just kick kids, toddlers, out on the street with a week’s notice.”
Jocelyn Ranne said she’s scrambling now to find a place to send her 3-year-old daughter, and said the Montessori school, which she was paying about $21,000 a school year for, was a special place for her children.
“The teachers there were just so phenomenal. They were so good with the kids, and the Montessori approach — it's just really special. Like, everything's at their eye level, and they just have the freedom to just go into the class and just find something and start working on it.”
What is Alpha School?
Alpha School, an “AI-powered private school" based in Texas plans to open up its second Santa Monica location at the site of the old Montessori school this fall, said MacKenzie Price, the school's co-founder. The private school has about a dozen locations across the country, and is expanding.
She said eight new schools are set to open this fall across California, including in Malibu, Palo Alto, and Piedmont. They already have established programs in San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Orange County.
Alpha’s growth comes as communities are debating the role of AI and technology in schools. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted to ban one-to-one devices for children from preschool through 1st grade, and set time limits to screen time for upper grades.
Price said Alpha began looking for a second location in Santa Monica because of the demand they saw for the first location they announced earlier this year, which quickly filled up.
“As a result, we're always interested in making sure that there's more availability for families that are interested in Alpha,” she said.
At the K-8 school in Santa Monica, which lists tuition at $65,000, students learn subjects like math on a computer for 2 hours a day using AI-powered software that customizes curriculum. She said the rest of the time is off a screen.
”Most importantly, we're giving kids back their most valuable resource, which is time, to be able to go and develop the life skills in the afternoon and work in workshops together and get outside and do activities and connect not only with each other, but also with their teachers, who we call guides,” Price said.
Price said there’s a lot of overlap that Alpha has with Montessori principles.
“Montessori has always had a really good focus on helping students have sort of a self-driven, proactive engagement with learning and develop life skills, and Alpha does so much of that, but we have made the technology component of our experience really be able to result in phenomenal learning," Price said.
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A California State University president who stepped down following a multi-million dollar settlement in a case accusing him of gender-based discrimination and harassment will earn a six-figure salary this coming year while he’s in between Cal State jobs.
New role: Former Cal State San Bernardino President Tomás Morales will provide international consulting for Cal State and work on strengthening the university’s international initiatives and global partnerships. Morales announced his plans for departure last August and officially left the university at the end of this school year, joining an executive transition program in which he will be paid $343,920 over a year-long period starting this August. This salary is typical for Cal State executives in this program, said Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia, who announced Morales’ interim role at a board of trustees committee meeting Wednesday. The board of trustees also unanimously granted Morales president emeritus status Wednesday afternoon, a title given as a gesture of appreciation for his service to the university.
The backstory: Morales, and a former dean at San Bernardino’s Palm Desert campus, Jake Zhu, were accused of gender-based discrimination, harassment and retaliation in a 2023 lawsuit that Cal State recently settled for $12 million. Clare Weber and Anissa Rogers, both former San Bernardino administrators, alleged they were instructed to resign after reporting a gender pay gap and discriminatory bullying to higher-ups. Cal State continues to deny any wrongdoing and determined Morales to be in good standing, which renders him eligible for the transition program.
A California State University president who stepped down following a multi-million dollar settlement in a case accusing him of gender-based discrimination and harassment will earn a six-figure salary this coming year while he’s in between Cal State jobs.
During the transition period, former Cal State San Bernardino President Tomás Morales will provide international consulting for Cal State and work on strengthening the university’s international initiatives and global partnerships.
Morales announced his plans for departure last August and officially left the university at the end of this school year, joining an executive transition program in which he will be paid $343,920 over a year-long period starting this August. This salary is typical for Cal State executives in this program, said Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia, who announced Morales’ interim role at a board of trustees committee meeting Wednesday.
The board of trustees also unanimously granted Morales president emeritus status Wednesday afternoon, a title given as a gesture of appreciation for his service to the university.
Morales, and a former dean at San Bernardino’s Palm Desert campus, Jake Zhu, were accused of gender-based discrimination, harassment and retaliation in a 2023 lawsuit that Cal State recently settled for $12 million. Clare Weber and Anissa Rogers, both former San Bernardino administrators, alleged they were instructed to resign after reporting a gender pay gap and discriminatory bullying to higher-ups.
Cal State continues to deny any wrongdoing and determined Morales to be in good standing, which renders him eligible for the transition program. Executives may become ineligible if the chancellor finds they violated university policy or engaged in serious misconduct.
Weber, who alleged she was fired weeks after asking Morales for a raise over email to bridge what she called a gender-based pay gap, said the ex-president should not remain in good standing.
Male Cal State employees “are protected when they behave badly, when they mistreat women, when they harass women, when they retaliate against them,” Weber said. “The tendency is to protect the university.”
Morales’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
Morales, new campus president still high earners
During the year-long transition period, Morales will be required to submit a monthly report to the chancellor chronicling “activities and milestones completed,” according to a board document.
“President Tomás Morales has served Cal State San Bernardino with distinction for 14 years, demonstrating exceptional leadership on behalf of the university and his students,” Garcia said at the meeting.
Morales will also provide guidance and support to incoming Cal State San Bernardino president S. Terri Gomez, Garcia said at the meeting. Gomez, the current provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, will assume the role on Aug. 3.
The committee approved a $426,916 annual salary, $60,000 annual housing allowance, and additional auto allowance of $1,000 per month for Gomez when she takes office.
Gomez made $338,255 in base pay in 2024, per the latest available data from Transparent California.
In 2024, 69 out of Cal State’s 118,843 employees earned a salary higher than $343,920, according to the State Controller’s Office. Morales’ salary was $527,834 in 2024 — the sixth-highest earning salary in the Cal State system, behind the chancellor and four other campus presidents. The average university salary in 2024 was $39,870, according to the office.
San Bernardino’s chapter of the California Faculty Association labor union asked Cal State to open an investigation into university administrators perpetuating gender discrimination and deny Morales executive transition benefits in a social media post yesterday.
Morales’ transition assignment will last from Aug. 3, 2026, to Aug. 2, 2027. During this period, Morales will transfer to the Management Personnel Plan, granting him the employment rights and benefits of university managers and supervisors, Cal State spokesperson Amy Bentley-Smith said.
Bentley-Smith did not respond to a request for comment on what job Morales will take after the transition period, which should have been previously decided, according to a 2022 Board of Trustees agenda item outlining the policy.
“We are deeply grateful for President Morales’ outstanding leadership at Cal State San Bernardino and systemwide,” Garcia said at Wednesday's meeting.
No members of the board of trustees committee made any comments or asked any questions after Garcia’s announcement.
Phoebe Huss is a contributor with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.
A stiff drink without the sticker shock at Cento raw bar.
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Cecilia Seiter
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Getting a stiff drink in L.A. is expensive. These five spots graciously serve $10 martinis at happy hour.
Why try them: The martini is, as writer H.L. Mencken put it once, the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet. And while there’s no shortage of them in L.A., getting one that costs less than $15 can prove a journey. These five happy hour martinis all come in at $10 and don’t fall short on strength or flavor.
What to expect: Martini Mondays at the Nice Guy, martinis in a mermaid cave, and tricolor olive martinis in Beverly Hills.
Possibly the chicest and most indulgent way to unwind after a long day of work is with a perfectly-chilled martini in hand. Still, it’s usually a treat: martinis are famously high-brow beverages, and finding one that won’t break the bank in L.A. can prove difficult.
But if you know where to look, you’ll find that the city has plenty of martini deals. These five spots all stir up a delicious martini, and all of them offer generous happy hours where each ‘tini is $10 a pop.
Cento Raw Bar (West Adams)
There are many reasons to love Cento Raw Bar, the sister restaurant to Cento Pasta Bar next door, and one of L.A.’s dining scene’s newest darlings. For starters, it looks like a mermaid’s cave, but looks aren’t all this sweet oceanic outpost has to offer. Martinis and oysters, obviously, are a match made in heaven, and diving into Cento’s $10 “golden hour” (from 5-6 p.m.) martini-oyster is as delightful as it sounds. The martinis are made with gin or vodka and arrive in fun, color-blocked glassware. If you order yours dirty, you’ll get your olives on a little dish on the side. They’re well-balanced, perfectly chilled, and wonderful to wash down oysters with.
Location: 4919 W. Adams Blvd. Hours: Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 5-10 p.m. (happy hour 5-6 p.m.); Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m.
Dante (Beverly Hills)
The dirty and Dante martinis play nice together.
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Cecilia Seiter
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LAist
)
I’ve never had a bad martini in New York City, which is why Dante— a classic New York joint with a stunning location in Beverly Hills — is a must for a martini happy hour in my book. It’s famous for the tricolor olives in its signature ‘tini (a powerful blend of Ford’s gin, Ketel One vodka, Noilly Prat vermouth, Dolin Blanc vermouth, Nardini Cedro liqueur, olive and lemon bitters), but the dirty here never disappoints.
Like all good things, Dante’s dirty martini is deceivingly simple: Reyka vodka, olive oil, olive bitters and a pinch of salt with a dose of olive brine mist. Olives come chilled on the side. Martini hour is 3-5 p.m. daily.
Location: 225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills (inside the Maybourne Hotel) Hours: Monday to Friday 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. ; Saturday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. (happy hour from 3-5 p.m. daily)
Found Oyster (East Hollywood)
Olive lovers will find Found Oyster’s martini delightful.
(
Cecilia Seiter
/
LAist
)
The folks behind Found Oyster knew what they were doing when they married excellent seafood, wine and martinis in their bustling neighborhood bistro.
You’ll find $10 martinis everyday from 4-6 p.m. here, and you can order your martini with olives, onion or a twist. The dirty martini is generous, with fat, blue cheese-stuffed olives served on the lip of a chilled Nick and Nora. There’s plenty to sample from the raw bar — seafood platters, scallop tostadas and sea urchin service — and the large plates, like the wedge salad and the pork caesar schnitzel, are not to be missed.
Location: 4880 Fountain Ave., East Hollywood Hours: Monday to Thursday 4-10 p.m.; Friday to Sunday 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. (happy hour from 4-6 p.m. daily)
Maydan (West Adams)
Don’t miss out on Maydan’s happy hour snacks.
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Courtesy Maydan
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There’s something beautiful about a martini that subtly departs from tradition, and Maydan, the acclaimed Lebanese-inspired restaurant inside its eponymous food hall, delivers on this front.
The Za’atar martini brings together olive oil washed vodka, dry vermouth and sumac-sesame oil for a savory spin on a classic cocktail. Happy hour is Tuesday through Thursday 5-7 p.m. You’ll also find discounted snacks on the happy hour menu, like charcoal-grilled kebabs and housemade dips.
Location: 4301 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams Hours: Closed Mondays; Tuesday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (happy hour from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday)
The Nice Guy (West Hollywood)
Jazz and martinis were made for each other.
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Courtesy The Nice Guy
)
Martini Mondays are a great excuse to leave the house on a weeknight. West Hollywood’s The Nice Guy offers a generous range of $10 martinis, including dry, dirty and espresso martinis paired with live Italian jazz. You can also order a $30 martini meal to the tune of a burger, fries and martini (the Classic) or a Caesar salad, rigatoni Bolognese and a martini (the Mr. Nice Guy.)
Location: 401 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood Hours: Open daily, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
