cetmo
CIO
Depositions reveal Reed's role
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama State Board of Trustees member Joe Reed's name has surfaced in two depositions involving the case against fired head coach L.C. Cole, sparking renewed debate about Reed's possible involvement in the year-long saga.
According to depositions given by former assistant coach Dedrick Bell and ASU president Joe Lee, Reed has been involved from the beginning in the process that led to Cole's suspension and eventual termination.
In a transcript of Lee's deposition obtained by the Montgomery Advertiser, Lee stated that Reed contacted him numerous times during the course of the investigation and often voiced his displeasure with Cole's contract.
During Bell's deposition, Bell stated that Reed was the only person other than investigator Robert Clayton and former athletic director Richard Cosby to ask him about the letter he wrote which led to ASU's eight-month investigation into the football program. The Montgomery Advertiser was present at the deposition until being asked to leave by Bell's attorney, Cecil Gardner.
Bell said Reed called him at home last January, just days after Bell submitted his letter to Cosby. Messages left for Reed, Lee and Gardner at their offices on Tuesday went unreturned.
Cole said he wasn't surprised by the admissions of Bell and Lee.
"It really didn't surprise me that he (Reed) was pulling against me," Cole said. "He's been against me since I started. He voted against me being hired and voted against me getting a contract extension. It's no surprise to me."
Other Board members are also questioning Reed's involvement in the case.
"I know I haven't called Dedrick Bell," trustee Buford Crutcher said. "I sincerely hope that Dr. Reed didn't really do all of that. There is no reason for a board member to have that kind of involvement in a matter such as this. No reason."
Trustee Elton Dean agrees.
"We were all told by the university counsel to stay out of this," Dean said. "That's what I thought all of us had done. I know I've stayed out of it."
That process of terminating Cole has now reached its final steps. Cole's final appeal to the Board of Trustees will be heard at a meeting Friday morning.
However, if what Bell and Lee said during their depositions is accurate, Crutcher said he believes Reed shouldn't be a part of that meeting.
"I think Dr. Reed should recuse himself, not only from voting on coach Cole's appeal but from any discussion of the matter," Crutcher said. "It's what I would do and I think it's what any Board member would do. It's the right thing."
The depositions given by Bell and Lee were part of Cole's slander and libel lawsuit against Bell.
Bell submitted a letter to ASU officials in December 2002, in which he alleged several NCAA violations he witnessed during his time as a coach under Cole. The letter led an already-formed investigation committee to begin looking into the ASU football program under Cole.
The probe was turned over to an outside investigator, Clayton. Clayton submitted his report to university officials, who then forwarded it to the NCAA. The report allegedly contained numerous NCAA violations committed by Cole and his staff over the past three seasons.
Cole has denied any wrongdoing and filed suit against Bell in June and against the university in August.
Shortly after the suit was filed against Bell, he hired Gardner, a prominent Mobile attorney. Cole and his attorneys have alleged that Reed played a role in Gardner representing Bell, who currently works as a waiter at Wings Sports Grille.
Reed is an executive secretary with the Alabama Education Association and is over AEA's legal department. Gardner has handled numerous AEA-related cases over the past several years.
Gardner denied that Reed played any role in his hiring by Bell.
"I often take referrals but Joe Reed played no part in this," Gardner said during an interview in June. "Mr. Bell is an old friend of mine "
Ironically, Bell stated that in his deposition that he never met or spoke with Gardner before hiring him. All other questions pertaining to how Bell came to hire Gardner were met with objections from Gardner and an eventual threat to walk out on the deposition if the questions continued.
By Josh Moon
Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama State Board of Trustees member Joe Reed's name has surfaced in two depositions involving the case against fired head coach L.C. Cole, sparking renewed debate about Reed's possible involvement in the year-long saga.
According to depositions given by former assistant coach Dedrick Bell and ASU president Joe Lee, Reed has been involved from the beginning in the process that led to Cole's suspension and eventual termination.
In a transcript of Lee's deposition obtained by the Montgomery Advertiser, Lee stated that Reed contacted him numerous times during the course of the investigation and often voiced his displeasure with Cole's contract.
During Bell's deposition, Bell stated that Reed was the only person other than investigator Robert Clayton and former athletic director Richard Cosby to ask him about the letter he wrote which led to ASU's eight-month investigation into the football program. The Montgomery Advertiser was present at the deposition until being asked to leave by Bell's attorney, Cecil Gardner.
Bell said Reed called him at home last January, just days after Bell submitted his letter to Cosby. Messages left for Reed, Lee and Gardner at their offices on Tuesday went unreturned.
Cole said he wasn't surprised by the admissions of Bell and Lee.
"It really didn't surprise me that he (Reed) was pulling against me," Cole said. "He's been against me since I started. He voted against me being hired and voted against me getting a contract extension. It's no surprise to me."
Other Board members are also questioning Reed's involvement in the case.
"I know I haven't called Dedrick Bell," trustee Buford Crutcher said. "I sincerely hope that Dr. Reed didn't really do all of that. There is no reason for a board member to have that kind of involvement in a matter such as this. No reason."
Trustee Elton Dean agrees.
"We were all told by the university counsel to stay out of this," Dean said. "That's what I thought all of us had done. I know I've stayed out of it."
That process of terminating Cole has now reached its final steps. Cole's final appeal to the Board of Trustees will be heard at a meeting Friday morning.
However, if what Bell and Lee said during their depositions is accurate, Crutcher said he believes Reed shouldn't be a part of that meeting.
"I think Dr. Reed should recuse himself, not only from voting on coach Cole's appeal but from any discussion of the matter," Crutcher said. "It's what I would do and I think it's what any Board member would do. It's the right thing."
The depositions given by Bell and Lee were part of Cole's slander and libel lawsuit against Bell.
Bell submitted a letter to ASU officials in December 2002, in which he alleged several NCAA violations he witnessed during his time as a coach under Cole. The letter led an already-formed investigation committee to begin looking into the ASU football program under Cole.
The probe was turned over to an outside investigator, Clayton. Clayton submitted his report to university officials, who then forwarded it to the NCAA. The report allegedly contained numerous NCAA violations committed by Cole and his staff over the past three seasons.
Cole has denied any wrongdoing and filed suit against Bell in June and against the university in August.
Shortly after the suit was filed against Bell, he hired Gardner, a prominent Mobile attorney. Cole and his attorneys have alleged that Reed played a role in Gardner representing Bell, who currently works as a waiter at Wings Sports Grille.
Reed is an executive secretary with the Alabama Education Association and is over AEA's legal department. Gardner has handled numerous AEA-related cases over the past several years.
Gardner denied that Reed played any role in his hiring by Bell.
"I often take referrals but Joe Reed played no part in this," Gardner said during an interview in June. "Mr. Bell is an old friend of mine "
Ironically, Bell stated that in his deposition that he never met or spoke with Gardner before hiring him. All other questions pertaining to how Bell came to hire Gardner were met with objections from Gardner and an eventual threat to walk out on the deposition if the questions continued.
