Reactions vary about coach's termination

By MAURICE O. NDOLE

Reactions about the termination of Fresno State women’s basketball coach varied.

Fresno State California Faculty Association president Robert Merrill said he was not surprised the coach was fired after learning about the charges against her.

Merrill, however, said his association was willing to help Johnson-Klein.

“Our union does not go out and look for cases,” Merrill said. “If she comes to us, we can represent her.”

Track and field athlete and business administration major Robert Calzadilla said he was skeptical about the Johnson-Klein story, but he said he thought the allegations against the coach were serious.

“I think it’s wrong to take advantage of the system,” Calzadilla said. “If she broke the rules, she should face the consequences.”

Calzadilla said if the investigations are wrong, Johnson-Klein deserved her job back, and an apology from the university.

But Janette Redd Williams, one of the university investigators, said she doubted whether the decision to fire Johnson-Klein could be reversed.

“I don’t think we would have got to the decision of the disciplinary action, to begin with, if we didn’t think it would pass a reviewer’s scrutiny,” Redd Williams said.

Senior construction management major and women’s basketball fan Dave Landefeld had little sympathy for Johnson-Klein.

“I think she got what she deserved,” Landefeld said. “But I also think the school handled it poorly and they’re going to pay.”

Business administration major Raj Singh Badhesha said the situation with Johnson-Klein presented the university administration with hard choices.

“I think the decision was something they must have thought through,” Badhesha said. “I think to some extent, they’re probably trying to make sure that things don’t escalate.”

Walden O’Neill, a junior majoring in business administration, said the hype surrounding the coach was a waste of time.

“I think these efforts can be used better somewhere else like getting more sections for classes,” O’Neill said. “I don’t think the media attention is worth it.”

But Badhesha and O’Neill agreed that if the allegations against Johnson-Klein were true, the university’s decision to terminate her employment made sense.

There were no fans displaying signs in support of Johnson-Klein at Thursday night’s women’s game against San Jose State.

Fresno State running back and health science major Bryson Sumlin said the players should be the priority. Sumlin said if the accusations against the coach were true, the university made the correct decision.

Fresno State defensive back and criminology major Richard Marshall questioned Johnson-Klein’s judgment in taking medication from a player.

“You should not get medicine from a player of the team,” Marshall said. “If it’s prescribed to you, you get it from your doctor.”

Fresno State fans and season ticket holders Vivian Lawson and Rachael Facio said they come to games to support the team and not the coaches.

Lawson said she was surprised at Johnson-Klein’s reaction to the accusations against her.

“I haven’t heard her deny any of the charges against her,” Lawson said. “She’s just saying she wasn’t given a chance to explain.”

Facio questioned the commitment of Johnson-Klein’s assistants, who said they planned to quit at the end of the season.

Fresno State fan Steve Kangas was skeptical about the future of the team.

He said Johnson-Klein marketed the team well and made it popular.

“We might as well move back to the North Gym,” Kangas said.