Bill McEwen, a columnist for The Fresno Bee, wrote Saturday that Fresno State President John D. Welty should stay at Fresno State, an odd position for the Welty-hating writer.
In typical McEwen fashion, there was a sarcastic catch. Welty must raise $37 million dollars in 90 days if he wants McEwen’s blessing — $10 million more than the combined verdicts for three female athletic department employees.
Classy, McEwen. It̢۪s as if under Welty̢۪s administration, Fresno State hasn̢۪t enjoyed the lion̢۪s share of success.
The Madden Library expansion will make Fresno State̢۪s library the largest in the California State University system.
Love it or hate it, the Save Mart Center is probably the best venue in the Valley.
Fresno State had Title IX problems before Welty got here, and yet Fresno State achieved Title IX compliance in 2001.
University High School is the 36th best high school in the whole of the United States, according to the U.S. News and World Report. Read that again.
What did Welty have to do with this? I̢۪d take a guess that Welty̢۪s involvement with most of that was minimal. I̢۪m sure McEwen would agree, because saying so would make his call for Welty̢۪s firing all the more credible.
It̢۪s remarkably convenient for columnists like McEwen to ignore the achievements of Fresno State when Welty might have something to do with it, but the near $30 million settlements are definitely his fault.
Let’s not forget that Stacy Johnson-Klein’s ludicrous $19.1 million judgment is colored by her jurors “partying” with her after delivering the verdict.
Remember that her lawyers were willing to settle for near $1 million. In light of the verdict, that seems downright reasonable.
Why would Fresno State take the offer, when they had so much against Johnson-Klein?
Maybe the jurors saw what they wanted to see in the case, rather than the evidence. Maybe it̢۪s that they were so excited to be in another Vivas-like case that they got a little ahead of themselves.
They must have missed how Johnson-Klein treated her basketball players. I̢۪m not sure how sex talks at her home during a team unity sleepover were appropriate. Don̢۪t forget that she pocketed per diem, and skimmed off the top of her subordinates̢۪ bonuses. There̢۪s always the use of her players̢۪ prescription painkillers. That̢۪s pretty illegal.
Someone should really fire her. Oh, wait.
Welty did, or at least one of his subordinates did, and it was the right thing to do. They̢۪re getting the heat for it now.
I̢۪m glad McEwen̢۪s twisted mind could make some sense of this mess. I can̢۪t.
****
In other news: shootings move out of the schools and into the churches; to some, Oprah is the only meaningful endorsement; and a family film based on “God-killing” books underperforms at the box office.
Dirk Diggler • Dec 13, 2007 at 2:16 pm
Welty needs to go. That is a fact. All of this BS has happened under his tenure. Tark to Stacy Johnson.
Dirk Diggler • Dec 13, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Welty needs to go. That is a fact. All of this BS has happened under his tenure. Tark to Stacy Johnson.
XV • Dec 11, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Okay, Ben Baxter. Put one of your staff member henchmen on an investigative mission about the Chestnut Ave. widening. That mess was supposed to be completed by late October. I drove by today and nothing was open, improved, OR widened.
XV • Dec 12, 2007 at 5:24 am
Okay, Ben Baxter. Put one of your staff member henchmen on an investigative mission about the Chestnut Ave. widening. That mess was supposed to be completed by late October. I drove by today and nothing was open, improved, OR widened.
Dan • Dec 11, 2007 at 9:30 am
How about all the other discrimination lawsuits the University has lost on Welty’s watch? And the four more coming down the pike in 2008? Three former campus police officers are suing, alleging retaliation for winning a multi-million dollar judgment against Fresno State for racial discrimination, and the three former faculty over at Engineering and Computer Science who are suing, alleging age and racial discrimination. All of these cases will be going to trial next year. Oh, I forgot, the wrongful death suit against the University in the Danny Daniels case. Given the University’s track record, it doesn’t bode well!!
Dan • Dec 11, 2007 at 4:30 pm
How about all the other discrimination lawsuits the University has lost on Welty’s watch? And the four more coming down the pike in 2008? Three former campus police officers are suing, alleging retaliation for winning a multi-million dollar judgment against Fresno State for racial discrimination, and the three former faculty over at Engineering and Computer Science who are suing, alleging age and racial discrimination. All of these cases will be going to trial next year. Oh, I forgot, the wrongful death suit against the University in the Danny Daniels case. Given the University’s track record, it doesn’t bode well!!
Xango V • Dec 11, 2007 at 6:03 am
Don’t forget the Campus Pointe debacle people. He and his administration have been trying to get that square peg to fit in the circular hole for years now. He is a commercial developer’s dream in terms of his “brave initiatives” for the campus.
Xango V • Dec 10, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Don’t forget the Campus Pointe debacle people. He and his administration have been trying to get that square peg to fit in the circular hole for years now. He is a commercial developer’s dream in terms of his “brave initiatives” for the campus.
tim barrik • Dec 10, 2007 at 5:16 pm
All well and good, the achievements listed (e.g. Save Mart, High school) but are these things the foundation of a good University? The library yes, but funding from a gaming operation? I thought we we an academic institution, not an entertainment venue for the valley. Perhaps the new IMAX theatre will be the lecture hall of the future?
Time to go!!
tim barrik • Dec 11, 2007 at 12:16 am
All well and good, the achievements listed (e.g. Save Mart, High school) but are these things the foundation of a good University? The library yes, but funding from a gaming operation? I thought we we an academic institution, not an entertainment venue for the valley. Perhaps the new IMAX theatre will be the lecture hall of the future?
Time to go!!
Benjamin Baxter • Dec 10, 2007 at 2:22 pm
The Collegian Staff Comment
Future Squirrel Stuffer
Hiring Scott Johnson was a huge mistake, for sure. But out of a chaotic athletic department, as one of those Bee columnists described it, an internal hire made sense at the time.
Welty’s involvement with almost everything on campus seems incidental. Everything, of course, except the private fundraising Fresno State really needs right now.
That’s what Welty’s good at, whatever McEwen says.
The way I count the lawsuits, there were two that actually ended they way they should have. (This Johnson-Klein one is not one of them.)
I’ll concede that the above were pretty weak arguments, but the Johnson-Klein case shouldn’t strengthen the case for Welty’s resignation.
I usually treat press releases with a great deal of skepticism, but for now, I’m buying Welty’s argument that the Johnson-Klein fiasco was and has only been an employment case.
At least, it should have been.
Benjamin Baxter • Dec 10, 2007 at 9:22 pm
The Collegian Staff Comment
Future Squirrel Stuffer
Hiring Scott Johnson was a huge mistake, for sure. But out of a chaotic athletic department, as one of those Bee columnists described it, an internal hire made sense at the time.
Welty’s involvement with almost everything on campus seems incidental. Everything, of course, except the private fundraising Fresno State really needs right now.
That’s what Welty’s good at, whatever McEwen says.
The way I count the lawsuits, there were two that actually ended they way they should have. (This Johnson-Klein one is not one of them.)
I’ll concede that the above were pretty weak arguments, but the Johnson-Klein case shouldn’t strengthen the case for Welty’s resignation.
I usually treat press releases with a great deal of skepticism, but for now, I’m buying Welty’s argument that the Johnson-Klein fiasco was and has only been an employment case.
At least, it should have been.
A.C. Slater • Dec 10, 2007 at 10:58 am
On reasons Welty should go——–
(Most of the positives cited were distant connections between the campus and the president)—-same here:
Student library closes at 8pm during the academic semester.
Three sports have been dropped
The university football team has yet to play in a BCS bowl
Parking is still in flux for permit paying students
Graffiti and unsafe conditions (bad lighting and uneven sidewalks) are rampant on many areas of campus.
Tuition has risen incrementally though services have seen no great increase.
A.C. Slater • Dec 10, 2007 at 5:58 pm
On reasons Welty should go——–
(Most of the positives cited were distant connections between the campus and the president)—-same here:
Student library closes at 8pm during the academic semester.
Three sports have been dropped
The university football team has yet to play in a BCS bowl
Parking is still in flux for permit paying students
Graffiti and unsafe conditions (bad lighting and uneven sidewalks) are rampant on many areas of campus.
Tuition has risen incrementally though services have seen no great increase.
Whatever • Dec 10, 2007 at 10:57 am
But Welty got lazy and allowed an athletic director, one who Welty was warned would lead to gender problems, to run the department.
Check out Scott James’ column from Friday.
Some seriously weird stuff is going on in that athletic dept. and Welty should have addressed and rectified it a long time ago.
Passing the blame to the jurors? Come on, man. I know you can count the recent lawsuits. Something is going on that should NOT happen at this ever-so prestigious and high-quality school, as you seem to put it.
With this “lion’s share” of success, you’d think we’d be above high-profile, high-stakes, unanimously successful gender-discrimination lawsuits. It’s embarrassing and expensive.
You’re also saying Welty was in charge while some great things happened (the library I’ll give you but the Save Mart Center is an expensive financial disaster that only keeps third parties successful) but admitting that he might not have had much to do with it.
Welty seemed to get some things done academically (some expansion was necessary no matter who is in charge), and I’m not sure that he should resign, but attacking columnists and using weak arguments is no way to go about it. I’m not going to pretend to understand the inner-workings and daily life of a university president, either.
McEwen has been covering local politics and Fresno State athletics longer than you’ve been alive. You should read his book.
Whatever • Dec 10, 2007 at 5:57 pm
But Welty got lazy and allowed an athletic director, one who Welty was warned would lead to gender problems, to run the department.
Check out Scott James’ column from Friday.
Some seriously weird stuff is going on in that athletic dept. and Welty should have addressed and rectified it a long time ago.
Passing the blame to the jurors? Come on, man. I know you can count the recent lawsuits. Something is going on that should NOT happen at this ever-so prestigious and high-quality school, as you seem to put it.
With this “lion’s share” of success, you’d think we’d be above high-profile, high-stakes, unanimously successful gender-discrimination lawsuits. It’s embarrassing and expensive.
You’re also saying Welty was in charge while some great things happened (the library I’ll give you but the Save Mart Center is an expensive financial disaster that only keeps third parties successful) but admitting that he might not have had much to do with it.
Welty seemed to get some things done academically (some expansion was necessary no matter who is in charge), and I’m not sure that he should resign, but attacking columnists and using weak arguments is no way to go about it. I’m not going to pretend to understand the inner-workings and daily life of a university president, either.
McEwen has been covering local politics and Fresno State athletics longer than you’ve been alive. You should read his book.