Coach calls suspension retaliation

By NATHAN HATHAWAY

The possible NCAA violations in connection with the Fresno State women’s basketball team now extend beyond its suspended coach.

Freshman guard Kendra Walker-Roche did not dress for Saturday’s 71-50 win over Boise State at the Save Mart Center after she was declared ineligible for what assistant athletic director Steve Weakland said was a “potential secondary violation.”

Women’s basketball sports information director Brian Risso explained that an example of a secondary violation would be receiving an improper benefit, such as a free meal or rental car.

Johnson-Klein, meanwhile, has contracted the services of local attorney Warren Paboojian, according to several local news sources, and has made allegations of gender discrimination against the athletic department, as reported in Friday’s edition of the Fresno Bee.

Several television stations’ news reports have quoted Paboojian as saying the placement of Johnson-Klein on paid administrative leave may be a retaliatory measure against the coach for making sexual harassment allegations against an unnamed member of the athletic department.

“A few weeks ago, she had complained to the athletic department about gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and she did that privately,” Paboojian told Channel 30 on Thursday. “And now, two weeks later, she’s suspended for these alleged NCAA violations, so the timing of all this is a bit suspect.”

Paboojian did not return several phone messages left at his office last week by The Collegian, and Johnson-Klein was unavailable for comment.

The coach was suspended last Wednesday pending an investigation into reports she had violated university policies and may have committed two NCAA secondary violations.

Weakland has said the university is hoping to complete the investigation within two to four weeks.

Channel 30 reported last week that among the accusations against Johnson-Klein is a charge leveled against her of directing racial comments at former player Tiffany Williams.

Williams, however, said Saturday those remarks were not directed at her and she doesn’t think they had anything to do with her dismissal from the team.

Johnson-Klein was quoted in Friday’s Fresno Bee as saying she had been told the violations she is being accused of are “making racial remarks, my professional behavior and recruiting violations.”

The coach adamantly denied the accusation that she made racial comments.

As for the other two charges, Johnson-Klein told the Bee, “The others are minor. No one’s perfect, but I run a very tight ship.”

Johnson-Klein told Channel 30 she has not been kept in the loop on her situation and feels she has been treated unfairly by the athletic department.

“I was told not to talk to my staff, not to talk to my players, not to go to my office. So all I can tell you is I’m just hurt. I’m really disappointed and shocked in the university and the way they’ve handled this entire thing,” Johnson-Klein told Channel 30 last week.

“I know nothing. Most of the things I’ve learned, I’ve learned from the media, and I don’t think that’s appropriate. I’ve been fair, I’ve been honest.”

As for Walker-Roche’s situation, neither Weakland nor interim women’s coach Adrian Wiggins would comment further on the nature of Walker-Roche’s violation.

“Hopefully we’ll have everything cleared up before our trip to Tulsa and she’ll be able to travel with us Wednesday,” Wiggins said. “She’s a good kid and it’ll work out.

“I am not allowed to comment on it further.”

Weakland said the decision to bench Walker-Roche was a precautionary measure and that the department is in talks with the NCAA as the two sides try to “work out what the right punishment would be.”