David Stachura, Chico State University’s Associate Professor of Biology, Was Suspended Friday After an EdSource Report

On Friday afternoon, Chico State biology professor David Stachura was suspended after EdSource reported he allegedly threatened to shoot two female colleagues who cooperated in an investigation that revealed his sexual relationship with a graduate student, in violation of university policy.

One professor who was not targeted by the threat was so worried when Stachura returned to campus that she left. According to EdSource, other professors are actively considering leaving and one turned down a biology department job after learning of the allegations.

Early Life and Education

Stachura joined Chico State’s faculty in 2014. His research focuses on blood and immune cell formation, earning the school over $1 million in National Institutes of Health grants to support his efforts.

In 2020, a university investigator discovered Stachura engaged in an intimate sexual act with the graduate student he supervised. This violation of university policy led to his suspension without pay for a third semester.

During that investigation, two female professors who heard loud sex noises coming from Stachura’s office saw him with the student sitting on a futon folded out into bed and smelling of sex. They assisted the police with their inquiries.

Stachura’s sexual act was finally put to rest when the school suspended him for a third semester and denied his appeal. Subsequently, he was promoted to full professor and named “Outstanding Professor” for the 2020-21 academic year.

Professional Career

Stachura is an associate professor of cell biology and stem cells at Chico State. He uses zebrafish to study nervous-system and immune disorders.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and, for 2020, his salary and benefits totaled approximately $130,000.

State court and newly released university records demonstrate that a university investigation uncovered his inappropriate sexual relationship with a student whom he supervised, according to state court records and newly released university records. As a result, he was suspended in 2021.

Two female colleagues reported hearing sex sounds coming from his office and seeing him kiss a graduate student in a laboratory, records show. Additionally, there was evidence of having extended the futon into bed as well as post-coital smells, according to investigator Robert Morton’s report.

Achievements and Honors

Chico State University biology professor David Stachura, who specializes in fish cells and has helped the university secure over $1 million dollars in grants, has earned numerous honors for his research. He was named a Bragg Gold Medal winner and holds three fellowships from the Australian Research Council.

State court records reveal Stachura allegedly told his estranged wife he intended to kill two professors who assisted in an investigation that revealed his sexual relationship with a graduate student over whom he had direct authority, contrary to CSU policy.

Months later, in August 2021, campus officials received a threat. Stachura, an educator for Covid-19, was placed on paid leave and eventually suspended; eventually the school’s academic senate voted in December to request that the university issue a gun-violence restraining order against him.

Personal Life

David Stachura is a tenured professor at Chico State, conducting research in fish cell biology. For his efforts, he has received over $1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Last year, however, he was suspended for violating university policy regarding consensual relationships with students and faculty. These allegations sparked an investigation by the campus Title IX office.

Stachura eventually reached a settlement, agreeing to keep the investigation out of his personnel file and being granted early promotion to full professor. While this cleared his path toward tenure, Stachura lost an appeal that followed.

The school’s president promised to monitor him closely. She also confirmed she has spoken with Stachura’s wife, who obtained a restraining order against him in 2021.

Net Worth

David Stachura is a professor of biology at Chico State University in California. He earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did postdoctoral research at UC San Diego before joining Chico State in 2014.

He conducts research with zebrafish, a small fish used for nervous-system and immune-system studies. Records indicate that his position at Chico State pays him approximately $130,000 annually.

Stachura is a part-time professor at two biotech companies, but his primary source of income comes from stock trading. According to a Form 4 filed with the SEC in 2020, he owns over 4,370 units of State Auto stock worth $657,458 and has made 12 trades since then. Furthermore, Stachura earns an annual salary of $1,261,560 as Senior Vice President and Chief CARE Officer at State Auto.