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Infractions committee cuts Johnson's penalty

Ex-Baylor coach had appealed two findings

Altering a previous decision, the NCAA Committee on Infractions failed to find sufficient evidence of academic fraud and unethical conduct, charged against former Baylor University men's basketball coach Darrel Johnson.

As a result, the committee reduced Johnson's penalty, which puts conditions on his athletically related employment at NCAA member schools, from five years to three.

Johnson did not appeal another violation in which he was named in the original case, "a serious lack of control and monitoring in the administration of the institution's intercollegiate men's basketball program."

The original report of the Committee on Infractions was issued September 11, 1995. Johnson filed a notice of appeal of two findings found by the committee, academic fraud and unethical conduct.

The Infractions Appeals Committee, a separate body, considered Johnson's appeal. On May 20, that group issued its decision to remand the matter to the Committee on Infractions. The Infractions Appeals Committee asked the Committee on Infractions to consider evidence the coach provided to the Infractions Appeals Committee that he had not presented to the Committee on Infractions at the original hearing.

After an August hearing to consider the new evidence, the infractions committee determined that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the coach was guilty of academic fraud or unethical conduct.

The original penalty concerning the coach stated that any NCAA member institution that hired the coach during a five-year period must appear before the Committee on Infractions to determine if his athletically related duties should be limited. The committee reduced this period to three years, which will end April 15, 1997.

The Committee on Infractions' amended report on the Baylor case will be published in the October 7 issue of The NCAA Register.