TEMPE, Ariz., April 5 (UPI) -- A former director of baseball operations at Arizona State University has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit over his 2009 firing from the university.
Michael Rooney of Scottsdale said in the lawsuit the university fired him to conceal the ASU athletic department's lack of control, The Arizona Republic reported.
His firing came as the NCAA was investigating the ASU baseball program for alleged recruiting violations.
Rooney said in the suit ASU told him to look into whether telephone calls were potential recruiting violations and fired him after 10 months on the job to hide its own mistakes.
In the the suit, recently transferred from Maricopa County Superior Court to federal court, Rooney said ASU "proceeded to hang [him] out to dry by attempting to place all the blame for the wrongdoing on Rooney in order to take the heat off ASU."
The NCAA, which is also named in the suit, had charged Rooney with violating its ethical conduct principles for discussing recruiting problems with witnesses before the NCAA could interview them. The NCAA later dropped its case against Rooney.
The Republic said attorneys for Rooney, ASU and the NCAA declined to comment.
ASU's legal team has noted Rooney, who held the job Jan. 5-Nov. 20, 2009, had a one-year contract and was placed on administrative leave after the NCAA alleged rules violations against him and the baseball program.
