Norm Pattiz Pressured To Resign From University Board

Norm Pattiz

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and education leaders are urging the University of California to address allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct by University of California regent and radio mogul Norman Pattiz, nearly a year after several people said Pattiz made them uncomfortable in the workplace, reports The Huffington Post.

One of the women, comedian Heather McDonald, released a tape in November 2016 of Pattiz asking her if he could hold her breasts. Pattiz has confirmed that it’s his voice on the tape and apologized.

In a letter dated Nov. 29, Newsom, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and UC Student Regent Paul Monge asked university officials to make clear what they have done or will do about Pattiz, whom Gov. Jerry Brown reappointed to a 12-year term in 2014.

The issue is complicated by the fact that it’s not possible for anyone ― including the board itself, any California legislative body or the governor, who appoints most regents ― to remove Pattiz. Instead, Pattiz would need to voluntarily resign.

In a statement, Marvin Putnam, a lawyer for Pattiz, said the McDonald incident had been resolved and that if Newsom “took a moment to learn the facts, then he would not have sent the letter he did.”.

Pattiz has served on the UC Board of Regents since 2001. He has been under fire for more than a year over numerous allegations of workplace sexual harassment and other misconduct.

The letter cites an incident from May 2016, in which Pattiz was recorded asking if he could hold comedy writer Heather McDonald’s breasts during a taping of her podcast “Juicy Scoop.” McDonald was part of a podcast network Pattiz founded, PodcastOne, and recorded her show at the network’s Los Angeles-based studio.


McDonald left PodcastOne shortly after the incident. The LA Times reported on the exchange and also detailed accounts of several other former PodcastOne employees, some anonymous, who have worked with Pattiz and said he would make remarks about women’s bodies and their looks in the workplace, at times making them feel uncomfortable.