After Reports of Pricey PR Push, Lawmakers Ask UC-Davis Chancellor to Resign

Three California state lawmakers called on the chancellor of the University of California at Davis, Linda P.B. Katehi, to resign on Thursday, The Sacramento Bee reports, citing her effort to remove unflattering Internet posts about a campus police officer’s pepper-spraying of student protesters five years ago.

Ms. Katehi came under fire after a report surfaced on Wednesday that the institution had spent at least $175,000 on public-relations consultants to scrub online references to the pepper-spraying incident and improve the college’s image.

Three Democratic assemblymen -- Mike Gatto, Freddie Rodriguez, and Mark Stone -- all said they wanted Ms. Katehi to step down. Mr. Gatto told the Bee that this was the second strike against Ms. Katehi, citing her acceptance of a seat on the for-profit DeVry Education Group’s Board of Directors. Ms. Katehi resigned the seat after critics protested, saying her position could harm her university’s image.

“Spend millions on PR while student costs soar? It is time for Katehi to resign,” Mr. Gatto added on Twitter.