Under the settlement, the University has agreed to pay Mr. Pambianco $5,000 and in exchange, Mr. Pambianco has agreed to dismiss the case in its entirety and to never seek future employment at the California State University.
HSU believes many individuals faced unfair and public criticism as this case worked its way through the process, including our many dedicated Athletics donors and fans. The University is grateful for their loyalty and continued support.
Humboldt State University also regrets that the character of Dan Collen and Tom Trepiak, employees within Intercollegiate Athletics, came under what we believe was an unwarranted attack. They were required to defend their actions and spend a great deal of time responding to the demands of the case rather than being able to fully focus on their work with student-athletes. The department as a whole, and these individuals, in particular, have handled the situation with integrity and patience.
As the University said it would when the suit was originally filed, it put up a vigorous defense against the claims made by Mr. Pambianco.
At the time, a settlement was reached, several claims were pending, including an alleged age discrimination claim. The University was confident and prepared to go to trial over these remaining matters, but the proposed settlement provided a less expensive alternative.
Last year, Mr. Pambianco dropped his claim relating to financial mismanagement after the University filed a motion challenging that claim. The University’s motion followed the findings of an independent auditing firm that no funds had been misused or misappropriated.