A small group of powerful Baylor University alumni are pushing the school to reconsider its plan to fire football coach Art Briles, a move that threatens to inflame the controversy over the Baptist school’s handling of sexual violence on campus.

The issue was discussed Monday night in a teleconference between members of the Baylor board of regents but no action was taken, according to people familiar with the matter.

Based in Waco, Texas, Baylor three weeks ago forced out its president, Kenneth Starr, and suspended Briles in response to an outside law firm’s report concluding that the school turned a blind eye to sexual assaults and other incidents involving members of the football team. The board’s actions drew national attention because they implicated Starr, whose prosecution of former President Bill Clinton led to his impeachment, and Briles, a beloved figure among many alumni for revitalizing the football program.

Baylor won 10 games last year, marking the first time in the school’s history that it posted double-digit wins in three consecutive seasons.

Two Baylor football players were convicted of sexual assaults while Briles was coach, and media reports have described a number of other incidents involving players, with victims alleging that school officials reacted with indifference to their stories.