This case is quite wild.
There are people who back up the accuser’s claims, but Rich Rodriguez steadfastly says he didn’t do anything wrong and is being extorted. Arizona.com has the details.
Former University of Arizona head football coach Rich Rodriguez claims an ex-employee and her attorney tried to extort him to pay several million dollars or they would go public with sexual-harassment claims.
Rodriguez, fired in January as a lurid sexual-harassment claim against him became public, accuses his ex-assistant, Melissa Wilhelmsen, of fabricating a tale of sexual harassment solely to extort $7.5 million.
Attorneys for Rodriguez said the “extortion attempt dragged on for six weeks” before Jimenez finally presented a demand letter for $7.5 million on Dec. 10. The deadline for payment, according to the filing, was Dec. 26, the day before Arizona was to play in the Foster Farms Bowl Game.
“Demanding the payment the day before the Bowl Game was vicious, cut-throat, and explainable only as the ultimate threat to extort Coach and Mrs. Rodriguez of the $7.5 million,” the legal filing said.
Rodriguez, who is married and has two adult children at the university, has repeatedly denied he sexually harassed his former assistant, though he acknowledged he engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman not affiliated with the university
Rodriguez plans to fight to clear his name.