Crowd Rallies to Coach’s Defense

More than 100 students were drawn to the Ventura College quad during their lunch hour Wednesday by a rally to stop racism and demand that ousted men’s basketball coach Virgil Watson be reinstated.

“Something is wrong here,” said rally organizer Louis Bryant, a 10-year sponsor and supporter of Ventura College basketball who is known on campus as “Super Fan.” “There’s a hidden agenda . . . it’s racism. The only way justice is going to be served is if Virgil is rehired.”

Yelling into a microphone over scattered applause, Bryant asked the college administration for only one thing: “We want you to say ‘We made a mistake--we’re going to give him another year.’ And if he don’t shape up, then you kick him out.”

Several faculty members also took the microphone Wednesday to speak in support of Watson.

Art history professor Harry Korn told the crowd that he thought Watson was unfairly treated by the administration and should be given his contract back.

“I can tell you what is happening to Virgil Watson is really pretty awful,” said Korn, who serves as chairman of the grievance committee for the teachers union. “He’s getting a really raw deal.”

Ventura Community College District trustees voted 4 to 1 last week to fire Watson, citing allegations of recruiting violations, poor teaching ability and a lack of basic math and communication skills.

Chancellor Phil Westin, citing peer review evaluations, also noted before the vote that Watson, who teaches weight training and basketball, provides little or no instruction to students and that his grading system is inconsistent. Watson’s expense reports are also being investigated, college President Larry Calderon said last week.

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Watson replaced Phil Matthews as the Ventura College basketball coach on an interim basis before the 1995-96 season and led the team to its second consecutive state championship. He was hired as a full-time instructor and coach at Ventura for this school year.

About two weeks ago, a tenure review committee decided to renew Watson’s contract, but after meeting with Calderon, the panel voted to fire the coach.

English professor Jesus Gonzales said that he did not think race played a role in the decision to fire Watson, but that Watson was treated unfairly.

“In Virgil’s case, constitutional rights were violated and due process was denied,” he told the demonstrators. “If they can do this to someone with high visibility, national stature and long standing, what will they do to the rest of us?”

Calderon, Westin and other top college officials could not be reached Wednesday to respond to protesters’ allegations that Watson’s termination was racially motivated. Three of the trustees could not be reached. Reached at home, trustees John Tallman and Pete Tafoya declined comment, citing possible litigation.

With little response from officials, students wonder what is going on.

Amy Thomas, one of Watson’s former students, handed out copies of a letter she wrote supporting Watson.

“I want to talk about the real reason Virgil Watson’s contract did not get signed,” she wrote. “This community is scared of the Ventura College men’s basketball team.”

After the rally, supporters handed around coffee cans to gather money for the Virgil Watson Legal Defense Fund.

Then, shaking the cans like tambourines, a noisy crowd of about 40 people marched to the offices of Calderon and Westin, pounding on their doors, chanting “No Virgil, no peace!” Neither official was in his office.

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Then marchers stormed the board room. Bryant sat in the front of the room flanked by several basketball players, while campus police hovered outside.

Several players say they think racism was a factor in Watson’s termination, but most are more concerned with Watson as a person, a father-figure and a coach.

“To me, it’s not just about giving him back his job as a coach,” said Ralph Shelton, who has played for the Pirates since January, and said he thinks of Watson as a mentor. “This is about his career. His life.”

Watson’s attorney, Lou Carpiac, met Tuesday with representatives of the American Federation of Teachers--the community college teachers union--and said the union will file a grievance with the district with regard to possible violation of Watson’s review and evaluation process.

Carpiac also plans to file a separate appeal with the district based on allegations of violation of due process and privacy rights and character defamation.