A three-year-old lawsuit filed against Fresno State by a former associate athletic director came to a close Thursday when an out-of-court settlement was announced in the amount of $3.5 million.
Diane Milutinovich, whose gender discrimination trial was set to start this month, agreed to the settlement.
“I’m personally pleased to have this lawsuit settled,â€Â Milutionovich said at a news conference Thursday, as quoted by The Fresno Bee. “I settled it with the hope that the university will focus on the future and begin to comply with the law and treat all students and their coaches equitably.â€Â
The university admits no wrongdoing in the case, but appears eager to move on.
“With the resolution of this matter, the university can put this past issue behind us to focus on the future,â€Â President John D. Welty said in a written statement.
The university says it is committed to equal treatment of men̢۪s and women̢۪s athletics, and claims to have made progress in this regard in recent years.
In addition, the university agreed to bestow the honorary title “emeritusâ€Â upon Milutinovich due to her 27-year tenure as a university administrator.
Milutinovich filed the lawsuit in 2004, alleging that she was forced out of her administrative position over women̢۪s athletics in 2002 and reassigned due to her outspoken advocacy of gender equity in sports. She was reassigned to a management position in the University Student Union.
The university claims Milutinovich was removed from her position in the athletic department in order to eliminate the position and thereby save money.
The lawsuit was similar to two other gender discrimination lawsuits in the courts involving women̢۪s athletics. In July, former Fresno State volleyball coach Lindy Vivas was awarded $5.85 million upon winning her case against the university. The judgment was cut down to $4.52 million last week.
The trial for former women̢۪s basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, who claims both discrimination and sexual harassment, is in its beginning phase with jury selection still under way.
According to The Fresno Bee, Fresno State vice president for administration Cynthia Matson said the $3.5 million would be paid for by the California State University Risk Management Authority, an insurance agency that services CSU campuses and their auxiliaries.
The total amount is said to include all legal fees and associated legal costs to the case. Both sides have been negotiating and trying to arrive at a “fair dealâ€Â for months. Milutinovich’s case is the first of the three gender discrimination lawsuits to be settled.
Warren Paboojian, one of Milutinovich̢۪s lawyers, said the award amount proved that his client had a strong case.