The union representing professors, lecturers, and coaches at Fresno State formally apologized for supporting a petition calling on university President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval to resign.

On Thursday, a petition was circulated among the California State University Employees Union membership calling on Sandoval to resign for what they called “poor management and stewardship of Fresno State.”

Andrew Jones, president of the California Faculty Association chapter at Fresno State has retracted his support of the petition, saying he had been caught up in the fervor of support for the other union. Jones also said that he did not consult with the faculty union’s executive board.

“For my part, caught up in the fervor of support a member of CSUEU had for the petition, I endorsed (the petition) without consultation with the Chapter Executive Board or the membership,” said Jones. “As the newly elected president, I felt we needed to show solidarity and support our sibling union, given they were going ahead with the petition. In hindsight, this was a serious mistake, and I take full responsibility for it.”

Jones apologized for making it appear as if the faculty union’s executive board supported the petition.

Petition Accuses Sandoval of Financial Mismanagement

CSUEU represents 16,000 members in the CSU system. Its members are largely on the operational side, including information technology, health care, clerical, administrative and academic support, campus operations, and grounds and custodial workers.

The faculty union includes lecturers, professors, counselors, librarians, and coaches in the CSU.

The petition blamed Sandoval for his support of outgoing Chief Financial Officer Debbie Adishian-Astone. They said sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, and bullying took place during her tenure.

They laid blame on Adishian-Astone for a remaining $35 million debt on the $103 million Save Mart Center, which opened in 2003. They also brought up a 5% cut to instructional funding.

“President Jimenez-Sandoval has demonstrated poor management and stewardship of Fresno State,” the petition stated. “He built his career for years under the disgraced former president Joseph Castro. President Jimenez-Sandoval has continued the trend of poor financial prioritization.”

Union Mistakenly Says Students Stand by Petition

Multiple emails requesting comment sent to CSUEU by GV Wire were not returned.

A statement to ABC 30 by the employee union’s president said students and staff were united in their sentiment that Sandoval has “failed the Fresno State community.”

But Fresno State’s leading student organization, Associated Students, Inc., stands by the president, calling the petition “tone deaf and filled with misinformation.”

“It is incredibly disappointing to me as both a student and former student employee that the California State University Employees Union is standing by the petition that calls for President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval’s resignation,” ASI President Faith Van Hoven said in a statement sent to GV Wire.

“This petition is tone deaf and filled with misinformation and misleading statements. ASI, Fresno State’s official student voice and government, did not endorse, see, or even hear this petition before it was sent out. Let me be clear: President Jiménez-Sandoval is the best leader for Fresno State.”

Jones also apologized to ASI for including the group but not consulting them.

“I would like to sincerely apologize to ASI and the student population in general for their voices being used without consultation,” Jones said in his statement.

CFA Did Not Send Petition to Members

While the faculty union did not circulate the petition among its members, the employees union did, according to a CFA spokesperson.

Last year, the employee union and the CSU system agreed on a contract through June 2026 which would have expired this year.

Many details of the petition remain unclear, but Jiménez-Sandoval did respond to it Friday. Sandoval said he found out about it Thursday and that many union members were unaware of it.

“I am surprised at this message, especially when Fresno State has a balanced budget and all funding is explained to the Academic Senate, Staff Assembly, and ASI on an annual basis,” Jiménez-Sandoval said in his statement. “I am actively working to schedule a meeting with union leadership to better understand this situation.”