Paul Thein's Story

Paul Thein began his employment at Feather River Community College (FRCC) in July 1999. During his seven-year tenure at the college, Thein served as the Vice President of Student Services and Institutional Development, Athletic Director, and Dean of Students. He was responsible for building up the athletic department and brought in millions of dollars in federal grants for the college.

Beginning in June 2005, Thein began to voice concern that the athletic department was not in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The remedy the situation he recommended making the women’s basketball coach a fulltime tenure position and advocated hiring someone with experience in Title IX compliance for that position. (see Laurel Wartluft, Basketball Coach)

In July 2005, the college’s Federal Grant Director, Michelle Jaureguito, contacted Thein, her boss, (see Jaureguito case) to report a call she received about inappropriate conduct by a staff member. Jaureguito and Thein responded to the call and went out to the staff member’s home where they witnessed him consuming alcohol with underage students. Other students reported to Thein and Jaureguito that during the night in question the faculty member sexually harassed them by inappropriately touching them and making sexual comments, among other things.

Thein and Jaureguito reported the incident to the college president and Thein urged the college president to contact the authorities. The next day they provided testimony to law enforcement. According to Thein, the college president warned them to “protect themselves” from possible retaliation from the staff member’s father, who was a senior faculty member at the college. The president refused to join Thein in a phone call or to give Thein permission to contact the federal Department of Education about the incident even though the faculty member was being paid by a grant through the Department of Education.

After having reported the incident, Thein experienced ridicule, threats, and interference with his efforts to bring the college into compliance with Title IX. The staff member's father instituted a meritless grievance against Thein with the union. Thein reported the intimidation to the college president, and when the president failed to act, he reported it to the authorities. Thein complained to the human resources director about the senior faculty member’s attempts to derail the hiring of the new women’s basketball coach and about sex discrimination against the new women’s basketball coach.

In September, Thein was informed that his employment contract would not be renewed for the following year. Two days later he found on his office chair an envelope containing a negative evaluation of his job performance, the first negative evaluation he had ever received. In November, Thein was informed he was not allowed to continue his job duties and was put on administrative leave until his contract ended in June 2006.

In August 2006, Thein filed a suit against the college in U.S. District Court Eastern District of California and is set to begin trial in July 2007.

Contact AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund cases for more information on this and other cases.