Rich Rodriguez accuser files additional $8.5M claim against coach, Arizona

Zac Al-Khateeb

Rich Rodriguez accuser files additional $8.5M claim against coach, Arizona image

Melissa Wilhelmsen, the woman who filed a $7.5 million sexual harassment claim against former Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, filed an additional $8.5 million claim against him and the university on Friday, according to Tucson.com.

The second claim states the university is "vicariously culpable" for Rodriguez's actions, allegedly committed while he was an employee at the school. Apart from allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile working environment, the claim also accuses Rodriguez of "slander, defamation and false light, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress."

MORE: Rich Rodriguez responds to firing

That includes a Jan. 9 meeting in which Rodriguez and his wife met with former players to address the allegations made against him. Rodriguez, who was fired on Jan. 2, responded on Sunday by calling Wilhelmsen's second claim "absolutely false."

Rodriguez, however, has admitted to the extramarital affair.

In Wilhelmsen's initial claim, filed with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, she accuses Rodriguez of not only initiating unwanted sexual contact with her, but also of forcing her to help cover up said affair, which included a "Triangle of Secrecy" and “Hideaway Book."

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.