Embattled coach fired
University says Stacy Johnson-Klein created a hostile work environment,
put player in danger
By NATHAN HATHAWAY
Fresno State has initiated the process of firing Stacy Johnson-Klein
as women’s basketball coach, university president John Welty announced
at a news conference Wednesday.
Stacy Johnson-Klein and her husband, Chuck Klein, share a moment
at a new conference just hours after learning of her termination
as women's basketball coach. Photo by Joseph Hollak |
In announcing Johnson-Klein’s termination, Welty cited a laundry
list of transgressions the coach had committed. Welty said a university
investigation found Johnson-Klein was guilty of “improper actions
that resulted in an NCAA violation” and that she had “engaged
in unprofessional conduct and created a hostile work environment.”
Welty said Johnson-Klein skimmed money from her subordinates’ bonuses,
obtained a half-full bottle of prescription painkiller from one of her
players, was abusive in her treatment of students and staff, was insubordinate
and lied at various times during the investigation.
Warren Paboojian, Johnson-Klein’s attorney, acknowledged the coach
took one vicodin pill from a player after, he said, the coach ran out
of her prescription for the painkiller.
“There is nothing wrong with her taking pain medication at that
time,” Paboojian said at a news conference last week.
But Welty said there was a problem with it.
“This is a serious concern, regardless of how many pills were taken.”
Paboojian has said Johnson-Klein’s use of the pain medication stems
from her involvement in an automobile accident in April 2004, but Welty
said the investigation found instances of Johnson-Klein asking for pain
medication as early as 2002.
Welty said the investigation also found that Johnson-Klein “directed
improper cash transactions” that “prevented the athletic corporation
from correctly reporting employee compensation to the state and Internal
Revenue Service.”
At an impromptu news conference outside his northwest Fresno office Wednesday,
Paboojian said the improper cash transactions related to an incident in
which Johnson-Klein asked her assistants to pitch in part of their Christmas
bonuses to give to a secretary who did not receive a bonus.
“That’s not true,” university investigator Janette Redd
Williams said. “That tells her point of view on one of the charges,
and not one of the major ones.”
Redd Williams declined to say what the major charges were.
Welty also said the university investigation found that Johnson-Klein
sought reimbursement for a recruiting trip to a basketball tournament
in China that, it was subsequently discovered, had been cancelled.
The investigation also found numerous instances of Johnson-Klein disobeying
directives from her superiors, Welty said.
After she was told not to contact any of her players or assistants during
her suspension, Johnson-Klein sent an e-mail to her team and attempted
to contact three players by phone, succeeding twice, Welty said.
But Paboojian said this presented a double-standard and he believed the
contact with players was an unjust reason for her firing.
“The university allowed everybody in the sun to talk about this
investigation. They allowed players to talk about it. They allowed assistant
coaches to talk about it. They made this a circus.”
Welty said the investigation did not find sufficient information to support
allegations about racially based comments, another of the allegations
originally leveled against the coach.
Johnson-Klein, speaking at the news conference in front of Paboojian’s
office Wednesday evening, said, “as to the allegations made by the
university against me, I do not believe that I was given a fair chance
to respond to these allegations which have been made publicly about me.”
Redd Williams said investigators “gave her every opportunity to
tell her side of the story during the investigation” and she will
now have the opportunity to get the due process she said she was denied.
“She gets it now at several different levels, Redd Williams said.”
Redd Williams said Johnson-Klein now has three options: She can accept
the termination, request a hearing in front of an arbitrator or request
a hearing in front of a state personnel board. During all these steps,
Redd Williams said, the coach will be able to defend herself against the
accusations.
Johnson-Klein, dressed in a pink Fresno State Bulldogs shirt Wednesday,
was very complimentary in her statement at Paboojian’s office, thanking
Fresno for “accepting me and my family from day one in making us
feel welcome. I will never forget this community and the fans…”
The coach also had kind words for her players, saying “I wish you
well in your future athletic endeavors and in life.”
Other than those statements, Johnson-Klein remained largely quiet, letting
Paboojian do most of the talking.
Paboojian said he and Johnson-Klein “are definitely going to explore”
a lawsuit against the university.
He said he does not know what the next step in the process will be but
he would like to conduct his own investigation, interviewing the sources
the university spoke to.
“I believe the true problems that are indicative of this athletic
department are going to come out at a later date,” Paboojian said.
Paboojian said he and his client were not given an opportunity to prepare
a response before the press conference.
He said he was notified of the decision to terminate Johnson-Klein at
about 3 p.m. Wednesday and Welty’s news conference was scheduled
for 3:30.
“I specifically asked the university attorney to please give me
a heads-up as to when a press conference was going to be held so we could
prepare for that. That courtesy was not given to me,” Paboojian
said.
The university investigation into Johnson-Klein began on Feb. 7, Welty
said, after associate athletic directors Randy Welniak and Desiree Reed-Francois
relayed reported problems in the program to a university official. The
coach was placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 9.
Even though Paboojian said last week he would surprised if Johnson-Klein
was not reinstated, he said Wednesday that the firing did not come as
a shock.
“We were disappointed, but we weren’t surprised,” he
said. “If you look at the history of this athletic department, you
would not be surprised that she was fired.
“I just find it ironic,” Pabojian continued. “Some people
get to retire, and some people get fired at Fresno State.” Athletic
director Scott Johnson announced last week his plans to retire when his
contract expires in June.
Johnson-Klein, who replaced Britt King as coach of the women’s team
in April 2002, posted a 46-36 record in her tenure as head coach, including
the largest single-season turnaround in school history during her first
year at Fresno State, when the Bulldogs went 21-12 and reached the second
round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament after going
9-20 the previous season.
Welty said the university will now begin a nationwide search for a replacement
for Johnson-Klein.
Bulldogs players have openly expressed their interest in interim coach
Adrian Wiggins stepping into the full-time position, but Wiggins said
he is unsure if he will apply.
“If Fresno State wanted me here, I’d love to be here,”
Wiggins said after Thursday’s game against San Jose State. “Yes,
I’m interested (in the job), but I need to see what their vision
is for a basketball team, as well. I don’t just go around applying
at any schools. I need to make sure they still want to do the things that
we’ve been doing, and if they do, then yes. If they don’t,
then I’ll find someplace that does want to do that.”
Welty said, while he regretted having to take this action, he was left
with no other choice.
“Fresno State cannot overlook or simply tolerate the behavior that
has now been confirmed in the administrative review, despite the popularity
of the coach.”
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