Court upholds Sonoma State budget reduction plan to eliminate athletics, cut classes

Even a Court can not mandate a school to spend money it does not have.

Finally, a court with common sense.  Sonoma State does not have the money to run its sports efforts or many of its classes.  This court realized it did not have the power to tax, so is allowing the economic reality to take hold.

“Sonoma State University can move forward with its controversial plan to cut millions of dollars by eliminating its athletics program and cutting academic programs and faculty, following a Sonoma County Superior Court ruling late Friday.

In the 24 page-ruling, published Friday evening, the court denied the legal challenge brought to the court by seven SSU student athletes who filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and two writs of mandate attempting to block the cuts.

Now, the university can move forward with its cost-saving plan projected to eliminate an almost $24 million deficit.”

Maybe this Judge could end the $200 billion scam called the train to nowhere—just hoping.

Court upholds Sonoma State budget reduction plan to eliminate athletics, cut classes

Sonoma State University can move forward with its controversial cost-saving plan following a Friday Sonoma County Superior Court ruling.

ANNA ARMSTRONG, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, 5/10/25  https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/sonoma-county-court-upholds-ssu-budget-reduction-plan/

Sonoma State University can move forward with its controversial plan to cut millions of dollars by eliminating its athletics program and cutting academic programs and faculty, following a Sonoma County Superior Court ruling late Friday.

In the 24 page-ruling, published Friday evening, the court denied the legal challenge brought to the court by seven SSU student athletes who filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and two writs of mandate attempting to block the cuts.

Now, the university can move forward with its cost-saving plan projected to eliminate an almost $24 million deficit.

A Sonoma State official, reached Saturday evening by text, did not provide an immediate comment about ruling.

Ben Ziemer, assistant men’s soccer coach and spokesperson for the Save Seawolves Athletics campaign, called the ruling “disappointing.”

“We had hoped that we would get support from our judicial system because in our opinion it’s clear that SSU and CSU leadership did not follow their own rules,” he said.

Now, Ziemer said, he and the rest of the Save Seawolves Athletics organizers are counting on elected officials as their “final hope.”

“I hope they are true to their word,” Ziemer said, referring to the politicians who have expressed their support for the athletics department. “Everyone is a voter. I am certainly looking closely to see what these elected officials do, as I am sure many in the community are.”

The court found that the university’s administration complied with the requirements to make program cuts, stating in the ruling that “the law affords (the university) great deference in making decisions that impact the school’s survival and solvency.”

The decision also reversed a temporary restraining order, which had been effect since April 15, and required SSU to pause the academic discontinuation process until the court ruling.

The decision marks a major turning point in SSU’s efforts to stabilize its finances after years of sharp enrollment declines.

However, Ziemer said college athletics brought energy to campus and now all of his athletes are moving onto different schools and programs.

“Go walk on the campus,” he said. “It’s a morgue. They have no idea what they have done, and my fear is that this will push this once-great campus into further decline and eventually, they will probably just close it.”

University officials, however, have defended the cuts since they were announced, describing them as a difficult but necessary decision to ensure the school’s longterm survival.

“We strongly believe these changes are needed… Nevertheless, this is a deeply painful process,” Interim President Emily Cutrer said in a message to the Rohnert Park campus back in January.