Former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez could be named in Title IX lawsuit

A woman suing the University of Arizona for Title IX violations has motioned to add former head coach Rich Rodriguez as a defendant, reports the Arizona Daily Star.

The violations relate to assault charges against former Arizona running back Orlando Bradford. The lawsuit says the school did not act promptly in protecting victims after being told multiple times of Bradford’s actions.

The trouble for Rodriguez stems from a separate case that led to his firing. In that claim, it was revealed that Rodriguez promoted a culture where Title IX protections did not exist and that he and close staff members had a “Hideaway Book” that set rules for protecting the head coach, who has since admitted to an extramarital affair.

The Title IX lawsuit says those revelations means Rodriguez put the victim at risk.

The woman, the suit says, was abused as a “foreseeable and direct result” of Rodriguez’s behavior and actions.

Bradford admitted to torturing the victim while she was held against her will for two days. The former running back was sentenced to five years behind bars in November for assaulting two women.

According to the previous claim by Rodriguez’s former assistant, the “Hideaway Book” was designed to create an air of secrecy and included phrases such as “Title IX doesn’t exist in our office.”

Isabel Humphrey, the attorney for the woman seeking to amend the lawsuit, wouldn’t say Monday if she had a copy of the book. She told the Star that she expects the UA “to make diligent efforts to locate and disclose whatever versions of the Hideaway Book exist in hard copy and/or on the university’s computer system.”

The Daily Star reported the court has yet to respond to the amended lawsuit adding Rodriguez to the Title IX case.

The $7.5 million claim was later amended to $8.5 million, but Rodriguez has maintained his innocence.

Arizona fired Rodriguez on Jan. 2 and replaced him with former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin.

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