Coach, university begin talks
Attorney says he believes Stacy Johnson-Klein will be reinstated
By NATHAN HATHAWAY
A meeting between women’s basketball coach Stacy Johnson-Klein
and university officials to discuss the allegations against her yielded
no decision on the status of the coach’s job.
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Warren Paboojian, Stacy Johnson-Klein’s attorney, told the
press at the Smittcamp Alumni House that the coach did nothing wrong
to warrant a suspension. Photo by Joseph Hollak |
It was the Johnson-Klein’s first time back on campus since being
placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 9.
The nearly three-hour meeting at the Smittcamp Alumni House was, according
to a statement read by university associate vice president Mark Aydelotte,
“another step in the process in attempting to gain more information
from the coach as the administrative review proceeds.
“The university investigators needed to meet with the coach to work
toward the completion of the review,” the statement continued.
Aydelotte declined to say who those university investigators were.
Aydelotte finished his statement, given in front of the alumni house after
the meeting, by saying “all parties did not want to talk to the
press at this time and have left.”
As Aydelotte was reading the statement, Johnson-Klein; her husband, Chuck
Klein; and her attorney, Warren Paboojian, left the building through a
side exit.
Asked about the meeting on her way out of the alumni house, an emotional
Johnson-Klein said only “I can’t make a comment. I’m
fine.”
Johnson-Klein and her husband returned to the alumni house with Paboojian
about a half hour later and held a press conference.
Paboojian declined to talk about specifics of the meeting, saying he would
“try to honor a confidentiality process, and hopefully the university
will do the right thing and expedite this matter.”
He said that even after the meeting, he and Johnson-Klein still did not
know the allegations against the coach or the specific reasons for her
suspension. He said he thinks Johnson-Klein’s suspension is undeserved
and that she should be allowed to return to her job.
“I don’t believe the coach has done anything wrong to warrant
a suspension during this midseason,” Paboojian said. “Based
on what I’m hearing and the review process that went on, she should
be reinstated. If she’s not reinstated, I’m going to be surprised.”
Regarding allegations printed in Tuesday’s Fresno Bee that Johnson-Klein
used painkilling medication prescribed to one of her players, Paboojian
said Johnson-Klein had been prescribed the medication after she had “sustained
serious injuries in an automobile accident” and she had run out
of her prescription.
“There is nothing wrong with her taking pain medication at that
time,” Paboojian said. “I provided that information to the
university.”
Paboojian added that he did not think the painkiller incident was “the
issue in this hearing.
“It might be a minor issue, but it’s not a major issue.”
Johnson-Klein was placed on paid leave earlier this month after allegations
of “serious violations of university policy by the coach”
and two minor NCAA violations surfaced.
Aydelotte gave no timetable for the completion of the administrative review
but said this type of investigation can normally take up to 30 days.
Johnson-Klein spoke only twice during the press conference, once responding
to a question of whether she would coach again by saying “I’ll
coach again.” Paboojian quickly qualified Johnson-Klein’s
statement by saying they were still unsure of whether or not the coach
would be reinstated.
Near the end of the press conference, Johnson-Klein also spoke up to
say she loves her players.
Paboojian closed the press conference by saying Johnson-Klein wants to
return to the sidelines for the Bulldogs.
“Coach Klein is loyal to Fresno State. She wants to coach at Fresno
State,” Paboojian said. “She loves her players, and she wants
her job back.”
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