The fallout from an internal softball investigation at California State University at Bakersfield continued on Tuesday night when former Athletics Director Kyle Conder filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the school and the Board of Trustees.
Conder was employed at CSUB for nearly three years before the school announced his abrupt exit in September, days after assistant men's basketball coach Kevin Mays was arrested for alleged human trafficking and drug possession.
The lawsuit, filed by the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County, alleges multiple claims, including retaliation in violation of California Labor Code § 1102.5 for whistleblower protection and retaliation under Labor Code § 6310 for reporting safety violations. It also asserts defamation claims, denial of procedural due process, breach of contract, and claims of promissory estoppel.
The filing comes nearly three weeks after two former softball players, identified as V.S. and J.R., filed their own lawsuit claiming sexual harassment, abuse, and assault allegations.
Conder's lawsuit details the softball team incident and how it was handled once he learned of serious allegations involving the program in February 2025.
The drama began to unfold when family members of former CSUB student-athlete Violet Salazar approached him about the unfair treatment she was experiencing to start the 2025 season.
"Specifically, the family complained that Salazar...
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