The first of three big discrimination trials against Fresno State has revealed one indisputable fact: The athletic department at Fresno State has been troubled for a long time. No matter which way these trials go, I hope the university steps back and takes a look at how and why the politics of personal destruction became what this athletic program is known for.
At the heart of the problem is inept athletic directors going back several years. Gary Cunningham and Jack Lengyel probably did their jobs well, but the rest of the AD's had serious issues. Testimony Friday in the Lindy Vivas case revealed a "civil war" in the athletic department during the mid-1990s over gender equity and diminishing resources. The university reached the bottom of the barrel when it hired Scott Johnson as AD. The athletic department careened out of control under Johnson's clumsy guidance. (That must be why Mayor Alan Autry hired Johnson at the city for $115,500 a year. But that's a story for another time).
Phil Fullerton, a retired lawyer, suggests that the athletic department be dissolved and the operations go under another university umbrella. He says Vanderbilt has done this successfully: "At Vanderbilt, they abolished the Athletic Department, and merged it with the Intramural Program to create a new Office of Student Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness. It has responsibility for not only varsity sports but also 37 club sports with 1,000 participants and an active student intramural program. The physical plant including stadiums was combined with the Student Recreation Center and playing fields in a new Office of Facilities and Conferences. The university's Public Affairs Department assumed responsibility for publicity. Chancellor Gordon Gee announced at the time that 'Vanderbilt is committed to competing at the highest levels in the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA, but we intend on competing consistent with the values of a world-class university.'"
This idea is worth discussing, although Fresno State's problems have been caused by incompetent administrators allowing the personnel issues to get out of control, and a desire to win, no matter how many felons some coaches recruit as athletes. The combination has given Fresno State a black eye across the nation. That doesn't seem to bother the sports folks. If the football team has a good season, that's all that matters.
Maybe Fullerton is correct that the athletic department needs to be blown up. But I think the problems could be solved at Fresno State with a competent AD supported by a university president willing to buck the big-dollar boosters.
I doubt that FSU problems are making very many if any papers nationwide.It may be news here where attorneys for disgruntled former employees are ginning up headlines but it's small potatoes outside of the valley.College sports are a joke. Look what they've come to.When did higher education become the minor leagues and do college sports do anything to improve society?
Yes, CSU Chancellor Reed could save the university further embarrassment by paying to settle the Lindy Vivas discrimination trial, as Jim Boren suggests (opinion blog, June 28, 2007). But, don't expect an arrogant and incompetent CSU or CSU Fresno administration to take that step.
Stopping the expose' of Fresno State's tabloid tawdriness would place a band-aid over a deeply festered wound. The Vivas trial is exposing the nature of the wound and the inattention which lead to the festering. Embarrassing they may be, but knowing the facts might suggest the best treatment.
The best treatment will require a complete change in Fresno State's leadership team. Administrators responsible for creating the wound, allowing it to fester, or who via a few selective resignations/dismissals hoped to escape responsibility, ought to be held accountable and dismissed from their positions of power.
Finally, the trial is less about sexual orientation, than it is about a group of men and their inability to work with a well organized, intelligent, and assertive woman.
The courage of Lindy Vivas to challenge workplace harassment administered by the mismanagement team at Fresno State is to be admired. Ms. Vivas' courage is a shining example to young women, and I hope more than a few young men are listening. Thank you Lindy!