Think Progress

UC Davis Spent $175,000 To Bury This Story Of Police Brutality. We’re Writing About It So They Fail.

UPDATE: Katehi has been placed on indefinite leave by UC President Janet Napolitano.

In an April 27 statement, Napolitano said she is “deeply disappointed to take this action,” but added that the move is necessary because of “serious and troubling” questions surrounding Katehi’s controversial service on the boards of for-profit corporations, and the spending to improve UC Davis’ online reputation, among other concerns.

Napolitano’s move comes shortly after students demanding Katehi’s dismissal placed on indefinite leave ended a five-week sit-in.

In a statement released through her lawyer, Katehi characterizes Napolitano’s move as “scapegoating.”

“The Chancellor welcomes an independent, objective investigation and a full release of all relevant documents and public records,“ the statement said. “Make no mistake: we intend to vigorously defend Linda’s professional reputation and her standing as Chancellor of the university she loves.”

UC Davis Spent $175,000 To Bury This Story Of Police Brutality. We’re Writing About It So They Fail.

Following an infamous November 2011 incident where a University of California-Davis police officer was caught on video casually pepper spraying students who were peacefully protesting, university officials spent at least $175,000 on consultants in hopes of scrubbing the internet of negative posts about the school and Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, the Sacramento Bee reports.

WOW.

UC Davis, this afternoon.

People CRAMMED on the UC Davis quad this afternoon and listened to the chancellor apologize for the police crackdown last week:

I am here to apologize. I feel horrible for what happened on Friday. If you think you don’t want to be students in a university like we had on Friday, I am just telling you, I don’t want to be the chancellor of the university we had on Friday. [someone yells, “then resign!”] Our university has to be better than it is. And it needs all of the community to come together to do that. We need to work together. And I know you may not believe anything I am telling you today, and you don’t have to, it is my responsibility to earn your trust.