The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic will ripple throughout the country and the world — and millions of people will likely be affected by layoffs and furloughs.
At D-II University of Bridgeport (Conn.), athletics department officials are among those affected people, at least temporarily.
According to The Ridgefield Press, university president Laura Trombley announced that layoffs would be coming in early April in an email to alumni.
“While we hope that these layoffs will be temporary and that staff will be called back by August 3, 2020, or sooner, everything will be dictated by our continued response efforts to COVID-19,” Trombley wrote.
University spokesperson Susan Andrews told The Ridgefield Press that the decision was prompted by the NCAA’s cancellation of the spring athletics season, and by state government decisions to ban large gatherings and for non-essential workers to shelter in place.
Some coaches and staff were among those laid off, but other university employees could be affected by layoffs and furloughs, Trombley warned.
Meanwhile, Trombley assured alums that there were no plans to eliminate athletics, despite the temporary staff cuts.
“It is a vital part of our campus and contributes to the richness of the UB student experience,” she wrote. “We hope to return to normal once the pandemic subsides.”
