Former Women’s Coach at California University Awarded $3.35M

A jury has awarded $3.35 million to Beth Burns, the former women’s basketball coach for San Diego State who claimed she was fired for being a whistleblower.

Burns prevailed in a suit that claimed she was wrongfully terminated.

Burns was fired in 2013 after the team had a 27-win season, which was a school record.

The university said Burns was fired after an investigation concluded she had a history of mistreating underlings, including elbowing an assistant coach.

Burns denied the allegations and said she was fired in retaliation for demanding equal treatment of the women’s and men’s basketball programs as required under federal Title IX law.

Burns alleged she was a victim of whistle-blower retaliation, although her defense never argued that the university actually violated Title IX.