Rodriguez
MORGANTOWN – Attorneys for West Virginia University and former football coach Rich Rodriguez have agreed to preserve the privacy of depositions in the university's $4 million suit against Rodriguez.
Monongalia Circuit Judge Robert Stone signed an order protecting deposition testimony April 18, on a joint motion from the university and Rodriguez.
The order will stand until trial, unless Stone signs a different order or both sides consent to dissemination of testimony.
The order provides that no one can attend any deposition but the deponent, the parties, counsel of record and the officer before whom the deposition is taken.
"Any recording of a deposition taken by sound and visual means shall be made available only to the parties and/or their duly authorized representatives, counsel of record, the deponent and the officer before whom the deposition has been taken," it states.
Beyond that group, it states, "There shall be no dissemination or distribution of any sound and/or visual recording of any deposition, either in whole or in part."
The university sued Rodriguez in December, seeking to enforce a buyout in his contract.
Rodriguez, now coaching the University of Michigan, claims West Virginia University breached his contract by breaking oral commitments.
Jeffrey Wakefield of Flaherty, Sensabaugh and Bonasso in Charleston signed the order for the university.
Sean McGinley of DiTrapano, Barrett and DiPiero in Charleston signed for Rodriguez.