No Progress in Settling Titan Volleyball Dispute

Attorneys for Cal State Fullerton and the Titan volleyball team exchanged correspondences Friday, but there was no significant progress toward an out-of-court settlement of their dispute on the fate of the program.

The school dropped volleyball last week, but Coach Jim Huffman and his team are seeking to have that decision overturned on the grounds that it violates state sex discrimination laws. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.

Kirk Boyd, a Berkeley attorney representing Huffman and the team, said he won’t accept the school’s offer to reinstate the program with a reduced operating budget, from $60,000 to $5,000, and a cut in coach’s salary, from $42,000 to $35,000.

“That’s regressive, not progressive, and the state statute requires schools to show progress (toward equity in funding for women’s and men’s sports),” Boyd said. “There should be something worked out where volleyball only takes a slight reduction.”

Boyd said that attorney Nancy Carlin, who is representing the school, faxed him a letter Thursday morning, “but there was no significant movement on their part,” Boyd said. Carlin could not be reached for comment.