Rodriguez was fired on Tuesday amid allegations of workplace misconduct after his accuser, Melissa Wilhelmsen, filed a $7.5 million notice of claim with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
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The notice of claim, filed on Dec. 28 by attorney Augustine B. Jimenez III on behalf of Melissa and her husband Jason, was obtained by the Arizona Daily Star.
Rodriguez, in a Tuesday statement, denied all the claims against him, except for his extramarital affair.
Wilhelmsen claims Rodriguez “created and fostered” a hostile work environment and implemented a “Triangle of Secrecy” among herself, former special teams coach Charlie Ragle and director of junior college relations Miguel Reveles, a group she alleges was coerced into shielding Rodriguez from “anything that could harm his reputation.”
The “Triangle of Secrecy” also allegedly included a “Hideaway Book," authored by the football coach, as noted in the claim:
Also listed in the notice was a November 2015 incident in which Wilhelmsen allegedly was asked to secure a sideline pass for Rodriguez’s “friend,” which reportedly turned out to be Rodriguez’s girlfriend. Wilhelmsen, in the notice, said she was forced to stand between the woman and Rodriguez’s wife to prevent a confrontation. Rodriguez’s wife reportedly grilled Wilhelmsen for three hours about his fidelity during a lunch in May 2016.
Wilhelmsen also claims Rodriguez did nothing to help prevent the death of one of his players, Zach Hemmila, in 2016:
Hemmila’s death was later ruled to be a result of an accidental combination of a painkiller and anti-anxiety medication.
Wilhelmsen said she tried to transfer to another department in the university, but was reportedly told she couldn’t leave her job because “Rodriguez would be pissed.” Once the alleged sexualized behavior at work intensified, Wilhelmsen said she decided she needed to look for another job.
She did not report the behavior to the athletic department because she was afraid that “many other coaches and staff members would probably lose their jobs” as a result.
Click here to see the full notice of claim.