Keith Kountz / Athletic Media Relations
Little more than a year after a trio of gender discrimination cases costing the university more than $16 million, and just months after settling out of court with softball coach Margie Wright, Fresno State has another discrimination lawsuit on its hands.
Ramona Pagel, an assistant coach for the Fresno State track team, says she will be filing a complaint within the next few days.
Pagel is claiming the university committed gender discrimination when it did not ask her to interview for either the head coaching or assistant coaching jobs she applied for last year.
According to Betty Mosher, senior associate athletic director, the university does not comment on lawsuits.
Pagel said she applied for the job after former head coach Bob Fraley resigned at the end of last season.
She had served as an assistant coach for three seasons prior to her application, serving as the men̢۪s and women̢۪s throws coach, and was not rehired for this position either.
Pagel is a former Olympian and, over the summer, served as a trainer for Kim Kreiner, a competitor in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Pagel̢۪s attorney is Warren Paboojian.
Paboojian has previously represented former women̢۪s basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein and former associate athletic director Diane Milutinovich in their lawsuits against Fresno State.
The university agreed to pay Johnson-Klein $9 million over 25 years during when they arrived at a settlement in June 2008.
Milutinovich settled with the university for $3.5 million in Oct. 2007.
Paboojian asserts that the university had no reason for not rehiring Pagel, given her athletic credentials and that she did not receive any negative performance reviews.
MaryC • Aug 17, 2009 at 4:06 pm
There’s more to the story, check here
MaryC • Aug 17, 2009 at 11:06 pm
There’s more to the story, check here
MaryC • Aug 17, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I think those are too harsh words…let’s all be civil
MaryC • Aug 17, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I think those are too harsh words…let’s all be civil
A.C. Slater • Mar 1, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Paboojian is an opportunist and a whore for publicity.
A.C. Slater • Mar 2, 2009 at 5:47 am
Paboojian is an opportunist and a whore for publicity.
Rocky • Mar 1, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Aren’t you all forgetting that juries have several times found the university discriminated against women. Paboojian wouldn’t be bringing these cases if the university weren’t constantly breaking the law. Once a lawbreaker, always a lawbreaker.
Rocky • Mar 2, 2009 at 2:07 am
Aren’t you all forgetting that juries have several times found the university discriminated against women. Paboojian wouldn’t be bringing these cases if the university weren’t constantly breaking the law. Once a lawbreaker, always a lawbreaker.
bob • Mar 1, 2009 at 5:37 am
this is getting out of hand
bob • Mar 1, 2009 at 12:37 pm
this is getting out of hand
bob • Mar 1, 2009 at 5:36 am
another lawsuit?!
bob • Mar 1, 2009 at 12:36 pm
another lawsuit?!
dw • Feb 28, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Based upon what’s been posted on the Fresno Bee blog about this story, sounds like the track team is a soap opera in progress. Allegations that she “discriminated” against male athletes; other male athletes saying she didn’t. One (former) track jock saying he was totally mistreated by the athletic department and university administration. Different cliques on the team fighting with each other. And, one of the former coaches saying the interview/hiring progress was totally dishandled–something about one of the coaches finding out from one of the athletes that the coach hadn’t been rehired instead of from Athletic Department staff. This campus has earned the name “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight!” No wonder they lose case after case after case. Morons!!
dw • Feb 28, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Based upon what’s been posted on the Fresno Bee blog about this story, sounds like the track team is a soap opera in progress. Allegations that she “discriminated” against male athletes; other male athletes saying she didn’t. One (former) track jock saying he was totally mistreated by the athletic department and university administration. Different cliques on the team fighting with each other. And, one of the former coaches saying the interview/hiring progress was totally dishandled–something about one of the coaches finding out from one of the athletes that the coach hadn’t been rehired instead of from Athletic Department staff. This campus has earned the name “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight!” No wonder they lose case after case after case. Morons!!
Shagh Mi • Feb 27, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Paboojian is POO——-the respect that lawyers are shown in this state is sad. Money grubbing bafoons who are out to screw the taxpayers of California day after day. Litigation restrictions are one part of the conservative platform that I can get behind.
Shagh Mi • Feb 28, 2009 at 3:43 am
Paboojian is POO——-the respect that lawyers are shown in this state is sad. Money grubbing bafoons who are out to screw the taxpayers of California day after day. Litigation restrictions are one part of the conservative platform that I can get behind.
junior • Feb 27, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I’d say the real story is Paboojian. This guy’s on fire.
junior • Feb 28, 2009 at 3:34 am
I’d say the real story is Paboojian. This guy’s on fire.
Son of a Gun • Feb 27, 2009 at 7:01 pm
This is getting absurd. She’s simply trying to get a piece of the pie. The message here should basically be ‘don’t hire a woman—-you’ll never be able to get rid of her.’ You can’t simply have the threat of a lawsuit hanging over your head. Lindy Vivas was an marginal to awful volleyball coach—-SJK was a borderline criminal——-and Margie Wright is the rare exception out of the collection of Fresno ‘s goon intercollegiate coaches. She has been kept around because of her skill and talents——the others were let go when their teams didn’t produce. Pagel is too late on this one.
Son of a Gun • Feb 28, 2009 at 2:01 am
This is getting absurd. She’s simply trying to get a piece of the pie. The message here should basically be ‘don’t hire a woman—-you’ll never be able to get rid of her.’ You can’t simply have the threat of a lawsuit hanging over your head. Lindy Vivas was an marginal to awful volleyball coach—-SJK was a borderline criminal——-and Margie Wright is the rare exception out of the collection of Fresno ‘s goon intercollegiate coaches. She has been kept around because of her skill and talents——the others were let go when their teams didn’t produce. Pagel is too late on this one.
Pat Murray • Feb 27, 2009 at 3:23 pm
this is a reply to wacko’s post:
What you don’t understand is that a jury does not side with a plaintiff unless there is evidence and it can be proven. Also, the university doesn’t settle out of court unless it feels there is a reasonable, or likely, chance that it will lose in a court of law when the evidence is presented. Fresno State has lost court case after court case, and deservedly so. The evidence has been proven. This isn’t rocket science.
Pat Murray • Feb 27, 2009 at 10:23 pm
this is a reply to wacko’s post:
What you don’t understand is that a jury does not side with a plaintiff unless there is evidence and it can be proven. Also, the university doesn’t settle out of court unless it feels there is a reasonable, or likely, chance that it will lose in a court of law when the evidence is presented. Fresno State has lost court case after court case, and deservedly so. The evidence has been proven. This isn’t rocket science.
junior • Feb 27, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I’m confused. Was passed over for a position she wanted, or let go altogether?
junior • Feb 27, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I’m confused. Was passed over for a position she wanted, or let go altogether?
wacko • Feb 27, 2009 at 1:59 pm
this is getting rediculous. Now every women who gets fired will sue for this and will probably win because of the university’s record on gender discrimination. As a man if i get fired can i win anything probably not. But if i was a women i could claim discrimination. I know that it exist, especially in sports but come on every former female employee who worked for the university from now on will claim this, which is not fair to the students and faculty.
wacko • Feb 27, 2009 at 8:59 pm
this is getting rediculous. Now every women who gets fired will sue for this and will probably win because of the university’s record on gender discrimination. As a man if i get fired can i win anything probably not. But if i was a women i could claim discrimination. I know that it exist, especially in sports but come on every former female employee who worked for the university from now on will claim this, which is not fair to the students and faculty.