Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) will sit on the Select Committee on Campus Climate, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) announced Wednesday.
Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) will chair the panel, which was formed in response to a case of alleged racial harassment at San Jose State University. Four white students at the school are accused of assault and hate-crimes against an African-American student, including locking a bicycle lock around his neck.
“It’s clear from this particularly disturbing incident—one that harkens back to uglier times in our nation’s history—that we still have a lot of work to do to ensure California’s college campuses are safe and welcoming educational environments for every student,” Weber said in a statement.
Weber said the committee hold hearings over the next year to explore the current campus climate for students throughout the CSU, UC and Community College systems and consider what kind of policy changes may be needed.
Maienschein is one of 15 assembly members serving on the committee. He represents the 77th Assembly District, which includes Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Carmel Valley.
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