Former golf ranger, U-M reach settlement

■ Lawsuit alleging university defamed Joe Rodriguez is dropped.

By DAVID WAHLBERG

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Joe Rodriguez, who sued the University of Michigan after being fired from his job as a U-M Golf Course ranger, has reached a settlement with the university.

Rodriguez and his Ann Arbor attorney Mark Heusel wouldn’t disclose specifics of the settlement, signed Wednesday. But Rodriguez did say the amount was less than $50,000. “I’m glad it’s over,’" said Rodriguez, 71. “But I don’t think the principle of the issue has been resolved.”

Rodriguez was fired from his part-time job in July 1994. In April 1995 he filed a $1 million defamation and civil rights violation lawsuit, claiming he was let go for asking a foursome to speed up their play. The foursome included U-M Athletic Director Joe Roberson.

According to an internal university investigation, Roberson called golf course manager Robert Chaddock and told him Rodriguez had “publicly embarrassed him on two separate occasions and he did not care to encounter him when he used the golf course in the future.”

U.S. District Judge George Woods dismissed Rodriguez’ lawsuit in June 1996, saying the university’s report about Rodriguez “did not rise to the level of defamation.” The case was appealed to the | U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.

That appeal was dropped when the settlement was reached, Heusel said. Heusel said it could have been several years before the appeal would have been resolved.

___Roberson declined comment Wednesday. U-M spokeswoman Lisa Baker said this morning that, “We struck an agreement with Mr. Rodriquez, in writing, that all we would say is that the litigation has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.” Rodriguez, a World War II Marine rifleman, often speaks to groups about his military experience. But he said many people remember him more because of the U-M golf course incident. “Every place I go they ask, ‘Are you the guy that was fired from the university?’ I’ve done more than that in my life ... That was the principle (of the lawsuit).”

Rodriguez said he held off signing the settlement for several days, because it says he can no longer seek employment at the university. He has been working as a ranger at Stonebridge Golf Club in Ann Arbor.