Scandal-Ridden School Hires Polemical Boss

Richard C. Atkinson was named president of the University of California on Friday, weathering criticism that he paid $250,000 to a woman who claimed he talked her into aborting their child.

The Board of Regents voted 19-1 for Atkinson, currently chancellor of the UC-San Diego campus. Atkinson, 66, replaces Jack Peltason.

The appointment comes at a time when the nine-campus system of 154,000 students is beset with problems, including a recent vote by the regents to scrap affirmative action; mix-ups at universityaffiliated fertility clinics; and financial scandals.