Fontana District Ordered to Pay Loyola Plaintiffs

After more than two weeks of deliberation, an independent arbitrator has ruled the Fontana Unified School District must pay six Loyola High plaintiffs a combined $32,500 for injuries they sustained in a 1999 postgame fight between the Fontana and Loyola football teams.

The ruling, handed down by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Troy Roe, ends a 20-month battle to determine responsibility for the brawl, which resulted in numerous injuries to five Loyola coaches and the school’s athletic trainer.

In the aftermath, 13 Fontana players were suspended, two were expelled and one, running back Anthony Robinson, faced misdemeanor battery charges. He pleaded no contest in February 2000 and was placed on probation for three years. The incident also contributed to the resignation of Fontana’s coach, Bob Stangel Jr.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial Feb. 4, but the school district decided to waive the proceedings and admitted legal liability. The lawsuit alleged that Fontana coaches were negligent in controlling their players after the Steelers’ 21-7 loss in the first round of the 1999 Southern Section Division I playoffs, a game played at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

The plaintiffs sought $49,500 in damages, but Fontana Unified’s top offer was $18,000. District officials even rejected an earlier arbitrator’s ruling to award the Loyola coaches $20,000.

Both sides finally agreed to abide by the second arbitrator’s ruling.