photo credit: SSU

Seven Sonoma State University student-athletes have sued the school's interim president and CSU officials.

The suit stems from the January announcement by SSU's administration that the university was eliminating its athletic programs and discontinuing several academic departments and degree programs.

The announcement has outraged faculty and staff like English professor Tim Wandling.

"We feel very strongly that these cuts are just backwards to what we should be doing as a university," Wandling said.

Wandling argued the recently announced partnership between the California State University system and tech companies like OpenAI, shows there is money that could be used to prevent the $24 million cut at SSU.

"Where do they get $17 million for that?" Wandling said. "Why is ChatGPT getting that money when when our programs are being starved?"

SSU interim president Emily Cutrer emailed a letter to all students, faculty, coaches, and staff on Jan. 22 saying the school was discontinuing 22 academic degree programs and six departments.

The decision also eliminates all NCAA Division II athletics at Sonoma State at the end of the school year.

Filed March 7th in Sonoma County Superior Court, the latest lawsuit alleges fraud and misrepresentation by the defendants, and it asks a judge to set aside the decision, declare it unlawful, and issue an injunction preventing the school from acting on cuts.

The complaint alleges university administrators knew about the planned elimination of sports and academic programs well before the Jan. 22 announcement, but kept the information to themselves until just two days into the spring semester.

Plaintiffs say SSU continued to recruit student-athletes without disclosing that their sports would be discontinued as soon they arrived.

They also say the school failed to follow required regulatory procedures before discontinuing academic degree programs.