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.

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.”