U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada announces charges against former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, who agreed to plead guilty and resign from his supervisor seat today.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Topline:
Federal officials called it "Robin Hood in reverse" in announcing that Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do had agreed to plead guilty to a bribery charge and will resign effective today.
Federal officials said Do and his family received more than $700,000 in bribes. Of the $9.3 million in COVID relief money directed by Do, United States Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada said just 15% went for the purpose it was intended, feeding needy people during the pandemic.
The backstory: Last November, an LAist investigation uncovered millions of unaccounted for taxpayer dollars Supervisor Do directed to his daughter’s nonprofit without disclosing the family relationship. That story was the first of several investigative pieces examining what happened to the taxpayer funds. The practice of directing money to a group run by an elected official's adult daughter was not illegal at the time — but those laws are now changing under recently signed legislation introduced in response to LAist’s reporting on Do’s awarding of the funds.
Keep reading... for details about Do's plea deal, what federal investigators say happened and more on LAist's nearly yearlong investigation.
Andrew Do has resigned as Orange County supervisor and agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following a months-long LAist investigation and federal probe.
The criminal charges and plea deal were announced Tuesday morning by U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada at a news conference in downtown Santa Ana. Out of $9.3 million in taxpayer dollars that were supposed to feed people, only 15% went to people in need, Estrada said.
“Mr. Do and his co-conspirators stole money from the poor,” said Estrada, who called the conspiracy “Robin Hood in reverse.”
Do agreed to plead guilty and signed a plea agreement to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and faces a possible five year prison term. He accepted over $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to a charity affiliated with his daughter Rhiannon Do, according to aU.S. attorney's office news release.
In what that office described as a “package deal,” Rhiannon Do admitted to filing a falsified mortgage application that disguised her use of taxpayer dollars in the purchase of a house in Tustin. The deal calls for Rhiannon Do, a 23-year-old law student, to be placed on three years’ probation through a pretrial diversion program. Do admitted in his plea agreement that $381,500 in public funds were transferred to an escrow company and used by his daughter Rhiannon Do to purchase the home in Tustin for $1,035,000.
Through the investigation, Estrada said, investigators seized more than “$2.4 million in illicit proceeds generated in the scheme.” Andrew Do, he said, has agreed to forfeit his rights to any of that as well as “forfeit two properties, one in Santa Ana and one in Tustin, related to the scheme to purchase using proceeds from the scheme.”
Andrew Do will also forfeit his pension accrued from June 2020 when the scheme began.
O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do at the county Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 23, 2024.
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Nick Gerda
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LAist
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'Media reports' led to federal investigation
Estrada said the U.S. attorney’s office began their investigation when they saw media reports about how then-Supervisor Do had directed money to Viet America Society. LAist was the first to report on how Andrew Do directed the money to the nonprofit, without disclosing his familial ties. That report last November has been followed by a series of exclusive investigative pieces into alleged misuse of public funds in Orange County.
“We take action when we see those reports," Estrada said. "We brought our federal partners into the case to fully investigate, and we discovered this extensive and very troubling bribery."
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer echoed the seriousness of the findings.
The money “was literally stolen out of the mouths of our most vulnerable residents,” Spitzer said.
Spitzer said the charges marked the first time in 50 years that an O.C. supervisor faced criminal conviction.
Following the money: Credit card payments, property taxes
According to Spitzer, Rhiannon Do received around $8,000 a month in taxpayer money while Andrew Do’s other daughter, who was not named at the news conference, received over $100,000 funneled through COVID federal funds.
“The monies were used to pay off American Express cards, Mr. Do's American Express card, pay the property taxes of their home in Westminster and the home in North Tustin,” Spitzer said.
Spitzer was also sharply critical of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for allowing the allocation of tens of millions of dollars in COVID relief money to be distributed outside of public view. That lack of transparency, Spitzer said, allowed Andrew Do to "fill the pockets of insiders, himself and his loved ones — his family members” instead of helping the public.
"This was while Do was bragging about [providing] 2,700 meals a week, meanwhile the elderly were dying," Spitzer said.
Attorneys Paul S. Meyer and Craig Wilke, who represented former Anaheim Mayor Sidhu on federal corruption charges, are now representing Andrew Do.
Meyer said in the statement Tuesday: “Out of respect for the legal process, no statement is appropriate at this time. However, it is appropriate to convey Andrew Do’s sincere apology and deep sadness to his family, to his constituents in District One and to his colleagues.”
They previously said that the former supervisor looked "forward to a thorough and fair investigation.”
David Wiechert, an attorney for Rhiannon Do, reached Tuesday said they have no comment.
Andrew Do’s wife is O.C. Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Cheri Pham. Spitzer said she is entitled to a thorough investigation and she’s “entitled to a presumption of innocence.”
Chris Wangsaporn, chief of staff to O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do, at the O.C. Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 19, 2023.
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Nick Gerda / LAist
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“I can only say that there's an ongoing investigation with respect to Mr. Wangsaporn and his wife,” Spitzer said.
LAist reported earlier this month that Wangsaporn’s then-girlfriend, now wife, Josie Batres, was hired by a nonprofit, Mind OC, to carry out a $275,000 mental health contract funded by the county. County officials told LAist the county paid out the full contract, but none of the required work turned in to the county. Batres and Wangsaporn got married about one year into the two-year contract.
“This is like a spiderweb of involvement and so it's going to take time. We know a lot,” Spitzer said. “We obviously have a lot of documents, we've seized a lot of information from homes, we have a lot of electronic data that's being analyzed that we do not have all the results.”
Do submitted his resignation on Tuesday to O.C. Supervisors Board Chair Don Wagner, according to a county spokesperson who provided the resignation letter to LAist. Wagner will oversee District 1 duties until a new supervisor is elected in the upcoming elections, according to a county spokesperson.
LAist's investigation
The former supervisor's funding of Viet America Society — and the lack of answers about what happened with the funds — has been the focus of nearly a year of investigative articles by LAist.
Starting last November, LAist reporting uncovered millions of taxpayer dollars then-Supervisor Do directed to his daughter’s nonprofit without disclosing the family relationship, and that have gone unaccounted for.
In all, LAist’s investigation reported Andrew Do directed more than $13 million to the group using a process outside of public view, which was not illegal at the time. (Those laws are now changing, under recently signed legislation introduced in response to LAist’s reporting on Do’s awarding of the funds.)
LAist also revealed in December that the group failed to submit required audits showing whether the money was spent appropriately.
Read the U.S. Attorney's allegations
Read Andrew Do's plea agreement
Listen
Listen
38:22
Go deeper: The backstory on LAist's investigation
Antonia Cereijido, host of LAist's podcast Imperfect Paradise, talks with Nick Gerda about how his investigation into the alleged misuse of millions in public funds in Orange County began and where the reporting led him.
What do other supervisors say now?
In a joint statement, the four remaining board members reacted separately to their colleague's resignation and plea agreement.
Board Chairman Donald P. Wagner thanked federal investigators and added that the county's lawsuits remain active.
"The County remains committed to continuing its civil lawsuits in order to hold all responsible parties accountable and to recover misused public funds," Wagner said.
Supervisor Doug Chaffee called it "a troubling moment for our County. It's disheartening to witness a betrayal of public trust by someone in a position of responsibility. This highlights the critical need for ethical leadership. The Board remains dedicated to serving the people with integrity."
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento underscored that investigations must continue.
"The unsealing of the indictments demonstrates years of unethical and illegal acts that directly harmed the most vulnerable in our County," he said. "We must not discontinue the investigations until all parties involved are brought to justice, and the systemic problems that led to these abuses are reformed."
And Supervisor Katrina Foley expressed disgust at what she called "the staggering level of corruption, greed, and deception described in the unsealed federal indictment."
"Andrew Do and his associates carried out an overt scheme to enrich themselves off our hard-earned tax dollars, "Foley said. "Andrew Do must pay for his crimes. This Board is united in continuing to do the people's business of governing and moving forward from this dark day in Orange County."
The backstory
Law enforcement searched the Tustin home of Rhiannon Do, on Aug. 22, 2024.
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Jason Armond
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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FBI agents outside of Andrew Do and Cheri Pham's home in Orange County on Aug. 22, 2024.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
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LAist
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In August, federal agents searched homes owned by Andrew Do and his wife — Assistant Presiding Judge Cheri Pham of O.C. Superior Court — and their daughter, Rhiannon Do. That same day, agents also searched a home owned by Viet America Society founder Peter Pham, a restaurant that received millions from VAS and another home associated with Peter Pham.
From left supervisors: Don Wagner, Doug Chafee, Andrew Do, Vicente Sarmiento and Katrina Foley.
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Yusra Farzan
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LAist
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For almost a decade, Do had been one of the most powerful government officials in Orange County. For years during his time on the Board of Supervisors, he’s had a key role in overseeing how billions of dollars in funding were spent to address homelessness and mental health.
He’d been one of the five elected county supervisors since winning a 2015 special election by a razor thin margin of 43 votes, and ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2022. Prior to resigning, Do already was termed out of office this December.
He was also one of the highest ranking Vietnamese American officials in Orange County, home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the United States.
The week before the federal searches in August, county officials sued the nonprofit Viet America Society (VAS) and its leaders, including Rhiannon Do — accusing them of an “illegal and fraudulent scheme” to divert federal COVID dollars then-Supervisor Do directed to the group. The nonprofit’s leaders also were accused by the county of using the money to purchase homes in Orange County and converting the taxpayer dollars to cash through “voluminous, unaccounted for” ATM withdrawals.
Andrew Do has not returned dozens of requests for comment from LAist since last November asking about his funding of his daughter’s group. In a Vietnamese-language radio broadcast in August, a few hours after the county sued his daughter, Do defended his family and Viet America Society from accusations of wrongdoing. He said the nonprofit was complying with the law, and that allegations otherwise are “slander.”
Rhiannon Do’s attorney, David Wiechert, previously told LAist she’s a "very honest, law-abiding, hardworking young woman" before declining to comment Tuesday.
"It’s our intention to demonstrate to the government the error of their ways if they think she’s done something wrong,” he said.
Judge Pham has previously declined to comment through the court’s spokesperson, citing a statewide ethics rule barring judges from commenting on cases or issues that are likely to come before the courts.
FBI agents carry material out of a home owned by Supervisor Andrew Do and his wife Orange County Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Cheri Pham during searches in August.
Two weeks later, all four of his colleagues voted to publicly condemn Supervisor Do with a censure. It cites “reckless judgment and favoritism he has demonstrated in directing millions of dollars” to “organizations with no proven track record,” while not disclosing his family ties.
Catch up on LAist’s investigation so far
In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions in public taxpayer dollars were spent. In total, LAist obtained and reported public records showing more than $13 million in public money that was approved to a little-known nonprofit that was led on and off by Rhiannon Do, the now 23-year-old daughter of former Supervisor Do.
Most of that money was directed to the group by Andrew Do outside of the public’s view and never appeared on public meeting agendas. He did not publicly disclose his family ties. The law at the time didn’t require it. Much of the known funding came from federal coronavirus relief money.
LAist also reported that VAS was two years overdue in completing a required audit into whether the meal funds were spent appropriately.
And LAist reported, based on county records we obtained, that the amount of taxpayer money directed to the nonprofit was much larger than what appeared on public agendas.. It totals at least $13.5 million in county funding — tallied from government records obtained and published by LAist.
After our reporting, O.C. officials wrote demand letters to the nonprofit saying millions in funding were unaccounted for. They warned it could be forced to repay the funds.
On Aug. 2, LAist reported O.C. officials were demanding the refund of more than $3 million in public funds awarded by Do to VAS and another nonprofit, Hand to Hand.
Six days later, LAist reported Orange County officials had expanded demands for refunds of millions in tax dollars from the nonprofits and threatened legal action.
Then, on Aug. 19, LAist reported O.C. officials had announced a second lawsuit against Hand to Hand and its CEO to recover millions of taxpayer dollars that were directed by Andrew Do.
LAist broke the news on Aug. 22 that federal agents were searching Rhiannon Do's home in Tustin. Later that day, Andrew Do's home, and other properties, were also searched by the FBI and IRS.
On Sept. 10, the O.C. Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to remove then-Supervisor Do from his committee assignments, including his role as a board member for the Orange County Transportation Authority.
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An LAist investigation uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed by Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to Viet America Society (VAS) without disclosing his daughter was a leader at the nonprofit. County officials now allege that money was “brazenly plundered” for personal gain. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido speaks with LAist correspondent Nick Gerda, who broke the story, about the ongoing investigation.
OC Supervisor Andrew Do to plead guilty to corruption charge following LAist investigation
An LAist investigation uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed by Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to Viet America Society (VAS) without disclosing his daughter was a leader at the nonprofit. County officials now allege that money was “brazenly plundered” for personal gain. Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido speaks with LAist correspondent Nick Gerda, who broke the story, about the ongoing investigation.
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
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LAist
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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
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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.
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Cecilia Seiter
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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
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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.
