Moosa

The Board of Trustees of the California State University (the Trustees) demoted Suleman A. Moosa from full professor to associate professor at California State University, Chico (CSUC) for five years based on various actions by Professor Moosa which CSUC claimed constituted unprofessional conduct and/or the failure or refusal to perform the normal and reasonable duties of his position. On review of that decision, the State Personnel Board (the Board) determined only one of the allegations against Professor Moosa was supported by substantial evidence: Professor Moosa’s “failure to comply with his Dean’s directive to develop and submit an ‘Improvement Plan.’ ” The Board recognized Professor Moosa’s refusal to develop and submit an improvement plan was part of a “battle” with the dean that “was a microcosm of [a] larger ideological struggle concerning educational policy at CSUC that was occurring at the time.” Nonetheless, the Board concluded Professor Moosa’s “willful refusal to comply with [the dean’s] valid directive was improper.” Because the Board dismissed all charges except this charge for lack of substantial evidence, however, the Board modified the demotion from…