Task Force Finalizes Northridge Report

After nearly three months of collating data from coaches, administrators, students and gender-equity experts, the task force on athletics ordered by state Sen. Cathie Wright announced Monday it will forward its final report to Cal State Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson by Monday.

In the last of its 11 meetings, the panel arrived at the final wording of a 41-page document which was written by task force members James Sefton, William Jennings, Chairman Keith Richman and Staff Director Bill Whiting.

Panel member Sharon Schuster requested the only significant change in the report, asking that two paragraphs which argued against the Cal-NOW/CSU gender-equity agreement be removed because, she believed, the document was not the proper forum for such an argument.

Sefton, who wrote the section in question, felt the paragraphs were important because they emphasized there is a significant degree of unfairness to men which arises from the Cal-NOW/CSU agreement.

The task force recommended two weeks ago that Northridge permanently restore four men’s sports--baseball, volleyball, scoccer and swimming--the university dropped last summer because of budget and gender-equity concerns.