Students file class-action lawsuit against UC Davis over elimination of PE classes
Students at UC Davis filed a lawsuit against their university over terminating physical education classes and continuing to charge students fees that cover the program.
On behalf of the UC Davis student body, students Madison Butler, Bailey Johnson, Corrie O’Brien and Urvashi Mahto filed the class-action lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California on May 25 in Yolo Superior Court.
For years, the physical education program offered more than 35,000 students an opportunity to enroll in various courses including archery, flag football, self defense, tennis, volleyball and weight training.
When UC Davis experienced budget cuts in 1994, the program was in jeopardy, prompting the university to implement the Student Activities and Services Initiative fee, a permanent student fee of $380.90 per year to keep the program.
But the university “unilaterally decided to terminate the PE program in December. Students and faculty protested the termination of the program, and collected more than 5,400 signatures in 2020 to save the program.
And students allege that the university has continued to charge and retain the fees for at least two quarters.
Students are paying SASI fees, which provides more than $10 million annually to fund UC Davis’ NCAA teams.
In 2020, the student government — The Associated Students, UC Davis — passed a resolution to re-vote on the SASI fees, according to The Davis Enterprise.
Students who filed the lawsuit declined an interview with The Sacramento Bee.
‘Completely blindsided’
Daryl Lee, who was a UC Davis lecturer in the physical education department for 26 years and the head men’s tennis coach for 19 years, said he was completely blindsided by the decision to terminate the program.
“They gave a lot of different reasons,” Lee said. “They changed their reasons as to why they terminated the program.”
University officials initially stated they experienced declining enrollment, which program leaders said was not due to lack of interest.
Several UC campuses already do not offer physical education courses for academic credit, but advocates for the program say it remains popular in Davis. A decrease in enrollment is due to a decrease in employees assigned to support the program, Former UC Davis women’s swimming and diving coach Barbara Jahn said an email to the Academic Senate.
More than 7,000 undergraduate students, or 23% of UC Davis students, participate in physical education classes for credit each year.
Jahn notified the physical education staff in an email on Sept. 25, 2020, that the program will “cease to exist.”
“I want you to know that the final decision was made without our input,” the email read “This is devastating news for all of us.”
The following week, 14 lecturers in the department received layoff notices and “approximately 6,000 students were without credit-bearing classes,” Jahn said.
New programs on campus
In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, UC Davis officials said they learned about the lawsuit on May 27 and that the university has been investing in student health and wellness programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
On June 3, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Pablo Reguerin announced the student-to-counselor ratio will increase and, beginning this fall, UC Davis will offer first aid, self-defense and swim courses at no charge to students. Group exercises and recreational sports will also be offered.
But the physical education program offered more than that, including college credits to help students graduate, Lee said. The program was important for their physical and mental well-being.
“Essentially their experience with physical education would help clear their mind and help them excel academically,” Lee said. “It helped them from a personal standpoint and students would tell us how their habits and sleep would improve because of the structure from having (physical education) classes twice a week.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.