Attorney points to coach’s complaint
She brought forth allegations of sexual harassment, he says.
Jeff Davis The Fresno Bee
Originally Published 2005-02-11
The attorney for Stacy Johnson-Klein said he believes the Fresno Slate women’s basketball coach was placed on administrative leave because of complaints she made to the school’s athletic department about sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
Warren Paboojian said the complaints, made two weeks ago, were “based on things said and done to her” “The timing of her suspension and those complaints are suspicious” Paboojian said.
Fresno State placed Johnson-Klein on paid leave Wednesday pending an investigation into allegations of several serious violations of university policies and two secondary NCAA violations. Adrian Wiggins, Johnson-Klein’s top assistant, was named interim head coach by athletic director Scott Johnson.
Johnson-Klein said Thursday she was told the categories of the alleged violations, but wasn’t given details. She said she was called into a meeting Wednesday with Desiree Reed-Francois, the associate athletic director of compliance, and associate athletic director Randy Welniak, the women’s basketball supervisor.
“They told me the three [categories] were making racial remarks, my professional behavior and recruiting violations,” Johnson-Klein said.
“I’ve never made any racial remarks. Never. I don’t know where they got that. The others are minor. No one’s perfect, but I run a very tight ship.”
Johnson-Klein also said she was told Monday by Reed-Francois and Welniak that Jo Williams, mother of former player Tiffany Williams, had come to Fresno to get the coach fired for releasing her daughter from the program. Jo and Tiffany Williams met with school officials Feb. 4.
“I was told that Jo Williams wanted two things: me to be fired, and her daughter to have a scholarship for four years.” Johnson-Klein said. “Desiree and Randy both said they were there for me, and that was the last I heard.”
Said Reed-François: “We’re in an investigation. It is irresponsible to comment on anything in or around this Investigation”
Welniak said, “I can’t comment on that.”
Jo Williams said her only intention of coming from her home in Dayton, Ohio, was to get answers for why her daughter was released in December. She denied trying to bring down Johnson-Klein.
“No, I don’t have that clout,” she said, while attending Fresno State’s game Thursday against Texas-El Paso. She said she didn’t think Johnson-Klein had violated rules by releasing her daughter.
“I came because Tiffany wasn’t given a fair chance,” she said. “She wasn’t given enough time to be evaluated. I need somebody to hear me and make a stand for Tiffany.”
Johnson declined to discuss the matter when reached outside his office Thursday afternoon: “No comment, it’s a personnel issue.”
When asked about a timetable for the investigation, he said: “I hope it can get done in two to four weeks. We want to move quickly on this.”
He also said it is possible for the coach to return to the sideline during the investigation.
School President John D. Welty issued a statement through the university relations department saying, “Out of respect for the individuals involved in this process, the university will not be providing any information or comment about this issue until the review is complete.”
A disheveled, red-eyed Johnson-Klein said Thursday that she was “devastated” by the school’s actions against her. Her husband, Chuck Klein, said, “it absolutely blindsided her.”
Johnson-Klein said she heard from friends that her coaching staff and players were behind an effort to oust her. “I’m shocked at the rumors I’m hearing about a mutiny, that my people have turned against me,” she said during an interview Thursday at her Clovis home.
Wiggins denied the coaches were out to get Johnson-Klein, “No, it’s not true,” he said hours before Thursday’s game. “There is no mutiny.”
School administrators met separately Monday with players and Johnson-Klein’s coaching staff. That came four days after Johnson-Klein got into a dispute over a bill at a Ruston, La., restaurant. The situation was resolved after the restaurant’s owner and a police officer later met with Johnson-Klein to settle the bill. The next day, Johnson-Klein had a confrontation with Louisiana Tech coach Kurt Budke, in which the Bulldogs coach reportedly was heard to say, “I hate my staff.”
“It had nothing to do with any staff at Fresno State,” Johnson-Klein said. “It was misconstrued. We were talking about something different. I care deeply about my staff.”
Both Wiggins and assistant coach Drew Champagne said Johnson-Klein, who stayed on the road recruiting while the team returned home, called them about the incident.
“She explained it wasn’t true, and she cares about us,” Wiggins said. “And she would never say anything like that.”
Said Champagne: “She said she didn’t remember saying that. I accepted that.”
Johnson, in a news release Wednesday, said the “alleged violations” in the investigation of Johnson-Klein “are not believed to involve major NCAA violations, although there are potentially two secondary infractions which will be immediately reported to the NCAA.”
It is not known whether a secondary violation would affect the terms of Fresno State’s athletic departmentwide probation.
Reed-Francois, in charge of school compliance, said: “That would call for a legal conclusion. It depends on the nature of the findings.”
The NCAA, in September 2003, placed the athletic department on four years probation, concluding a three-year investigation that centered on former coach Jerry Tarkanian’s men’s basketball team.
The NCAA found major violations that included academic fraud, ineligible players receiving financial aid, players receiving free food and a lack of institutional control.
Also, former Fresno State associate athletic director Diane Milutinovich has a lawsuit pending against the university over gender equity, and Lindy Vivas, who was removed as the Bulldogs’ volleyball coach Dec. 6, said she lost her job in retaliation for advocating gender equity and said she is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the university.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the Bulldogs defeated Texas-El Paso 65-47 in their first game under Wiggins. Johnson-Klein said she watched the game on television at home.
Paboojian said the university has “instructed Stacy not to contact the staff and players, and they aren’t allowed to contact her.”
Inside the Save Mart Center on Thursday, fans slowly made their way to the stands, Wiggins went virtually unnoticed when he emerged from the locker room and walked to his seat flanked by his assistant coaches. Only a few cheers were audible.
Fans interviewed before the game voiced support for Johnson-Klein.
“We’re behind her 100%,” said Gary Hanoian, 55, of Fowler. “It would be devastating to [lose her). She brought the program from 500 fans to 5,000. Missing one game, that’s all I want to see.”
Said Dee Marlin, 78, of Fresno: “She’s brought a mediocre program and made it a contender for the NCAA Tournament.”
