Students-Attals ask the courts to intervene on the cuts of the program announced by the state of Sonoma

Seven athletes of the State University of Sonoma have sued the school together with the interim president Emily Currer, the chancellor of CSU Mildred García and the Board of Trustees of CSU on the January decision that eliminates the athletic programs of the school and discontinues 22 academic degree programs in the university.

Cetrer sent a letter to all students, teachers, coaches and staff on January 22, saying that the school was Discontinuing 22 academic degree programs and six departments.

The decision eliminated all the athletics of Division II of the NCAA in the state of Sonoma.

Filed on Friday at the Sonoma County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleges fraud and misrepresentation by the accused and asks a judge to annul the decision, declare it illegal and issue a court order that prevents the school from implementing the decision.

The plaintiff’s lawyers said Monday in a statement that the decision “interrupted and endangered the academic and athletic careers of numerous students.”

The complaint alleges that the university administrators knew about the planned elimination of sports and academic programs long before the announcement of January 22, but the information remained only two days after the spring semester.

The plaintiffs say that SSU continued to recruit athletes without revealing their sports would be discontinued as soon as they arrived. They also say that the school could not follow the required regulatory procedures before suspending academic degree programs, including not going through the academic Senate, not consulting with enrolled students and not specifying an adequate teaching plan for affected students.

Students also say that the decision is arbitrary and capricious, and the affirmation of the administration that the cuts would save $ 3.7 million is inaccurate and is not backed by the evidence.

A message was left for a Sonoma state spokesman was not immediately returned.

Trying to close a $ 24 million deficit

The University of Rohner Park said in January that he is trying to address a budget deficit of almost $ 24 million.

Cetrer said that the school will not renew the contracts for 46 members of the Faculty for the 2025-26 school year and that several other teachers and management and personnel positions will also be reduced.

Degree programs identified for the cutting block include art history, dance, economy, land and environmental sciences, French, philosophy, theatrical arts and women and gender studies.

The school blamed a budget deficit of $ 23.9 million for the 2025-26 school year, at least in part, for the reduction of registration numbers that fell 38% in the last decade.

Friday’s demand was not the first legal action taken from the cuts. University coaches and sports supporters in January presented a Federal civil rights complaint and threatened more legal actions against the school on the cuts of the Atlético program.

Benjamin Ziemer, male soccer coach of the state of Sonoma in the state of Sonoma and spokesman for a group called Save Seawolves AthleticsHe said the group has filed the complaint because the cuts will affect minority students disproportionately and cause another damage.