Deposition of Michael Nelson
Deposition of Michael Nelson
Deposition of Michael Nelson
LEAH RODEMAKER,
Plaintiff,
Defendants.
1. Copy of Deposition of Michael Nelson taken February 19, 2021 in the case of
Alan Rodemaker v. Ernest James Usher, III, Superior Court of Lowndes County,
Civil Action No. 2020CV0630;
ALAN RODEMAKER, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
-vs- ) CIVIL ACTION NO.
) 2020CV0630
ERNEST JAMES USHER, III, )
)
Defendant. )
__________________________________)
__________________________________________________________
Transcript Prepared By:
7
SALEEM "Sam" DENNIS, ESQUIRE
8 SAM D. DENNIS, PC
10
11
12
FOR THE DEFENDANT:
13
ERNEST JAMES USHER, IN PROPRIA PERSONA
14
15 (NOT PRESENT)
16
17
18
19 ALSO PRESENT:
20 Alan Rodemaker, Plaintiff
Leah Rodemaker, Plaintiff's spouse
21 Jim Wilson, Attorney at Law
Jerry Lumley, Attorney at Law
22 Brandon Oren, Attorney at Law
23
24
25
2 PROCEEDINGS
3 - - -
8 - - -
9 MICHAEL NELSON,
11 - - -
12 EXAMINATION
13 BY MR. SAVAGE:
15 before a few minutes ago. I'm trying to help John and Sam
24 Carolina.
3 A My father.
4 Q Okay. Yeah?
5 A Family.
6 Q I gotcha.
12 A I am.
23 A Right.
5 board, did you have dealings with the head football coach
6 there?
7 A Oh, yes.
12 A I have no idea.
15 A Yes.
18 A Yes, it did.
2 not?
4 him.
6 period of time.
8 football coach --
9 A I did.
10 Q -- at Valdosta?
11 A I did.
17 black coach --
18 Q Okay.
23 A No.
8 Rodemaker?
10 Q Okay.
13 but I don't.
17 program.
19 A Graham.
21 him.
24 Q Okay.
4 A Oh, no.
6 rumored to attend?
9 this young lady down here and one other lady work for me
11 And I'm going to show you some things here, but we will
14 this?
15 A I do not.
17 A Oh, yes.
18 Q Okay.
21 follow Warren Lee's desires that they get rid of the white
23 A I don't know.
24 Q Fair enough.
3 A Yes.
9 where he lives?
10 A Yes.
12 belief?
16 A Yeah.
21 A Kind of -- I -- yeah.
22 Q Yeah.
24 his wife, and that she -- that she lives outside the city.
25 He's testified that he's lived with his wife for the last
11 good ways.
14 to see where the hell he was going. And he went down the
15 street for just a little ways and turned into a house and
18 headed.
20 racist?
21 A I do.
23 advantages?
24 A I do.
10 other ones.
11 BY MR. SAVAGE:
23 what that says? That's our process server going out there
4 questions.
10 question.
13 BY MR. SAVAGE:
16 A I do.
17 Q -- print out?
19 A Yes, it is.
20 Q Okay.
6 BY MR. SAVAGE:
9 A Yes.
14 of the sudden" --
18 reaffirm."
9 Q Right.
10 A -- at that meeting.
15 you, I've known Reverend Rose for a long, long time. And
19 different issues.
22 A I do.
5 question.
9 BY MR. SAVAGE:
17 Patrol.
19 A No, I wasn't.
24 you, I apologize.
8 BY MR. SAVAGE:
11 here who's had two families -- are you aware of that with
12 Mr. Propst?
13 A I am.
18 A I do.
19 Q What is it?
10 A Rodemaker?
14 A Uh-huh.
17 discouraging.
21 Q Oh.
3 board was racist and that the community was divided. And
6 move back.
13 highest regard --
15 board.
20 investigation here.
22 in Valdosta.
23 A Okay.
3 out to him that should have been made out to the school
4 system.
7 Q Right.
9 grocery store.
10 Q Okay.
18 have fake companies every year call local business and act
6 stadium.
13 check.
25 the money.
5 BY MR. SAVAGE:
7 account?
8 A Yeah.
10 you've got the pocket book in the jail cell, well, you
11 say, "Let me give you the pocket book I just stole back."
14 check go to?
20 thousand-dollar spot.
25 BY MR. SAVAGE:
2 A Right.
6 discovered what went on, that was January the 7th. And
14 account?
15 A Uhm-hum.
18 A I do too.
6 about it?
7 A Nobody.
13 people.
15 district attorney?
16 A I do not.
18 A Let me say --
20 Winn-Dixie.
10 his company.
12 BY MR. SAVAGE:
21 BY MR. SAVAGE:
16 BY MR. SAVAGE:
23 wife, right?
24 A Yes.
3 Q Yeah.
5 Q Yeah.
9 A Yes.
13 Colquitt, I really don't know exactly why they let him go.
19 A Stephanie.
3 talk about break into Los Angeles, the kid that plays
5 Garcia.
6 A Jake Garcia.
8 A Oh, yeah.
13 about Propst dealing with Jake Garcia and how did the
18 A Oh, yeah.
19 Q Wow.
20 A Two players.
21 Q Okay.
4 Q Yeah.
6 2500 for the Garcias and 850 bucks for the quarterback
8 A To pay rent.
11 Q Yeah.
13 the administration?
14 A No.
17 A Thank you.
19 Mr. Oren with the hope -- and I have high respect for
7 the guy.
16 about it?
18 done.
25 him as well.
6 is a certified teacher.
9 it.
16 that.
23 being reported.
3 Q What time?
4 A 10:30.
11 No, he hasn't.
17 January 7th.
19 anxious.
9 don't know.
13 system.
15 I'm only saying because I like you, and you know that
18 BY MR. SAVAGE:
24 Q Go ahead.
5 his application.
7 Brooks County?
12 Benyard brothers.
15 A Oh, yeah?
6 mean.
9 Q Okay.
10 A John Reid.
12 A Oh, Kasim?
24 Rome.
2 BY MR. SAVAGE:
10 consider it fact.
21 Rush Propst.
2 know.
15 like a do now.
21 shape.
12 Q Funny money.
18 Q Who is that?
21 Q Oh, gosh.
25 Q Okay.
4 Q Funny money?
5 A Funny money.
11 country.
13 Wildcats?
20 to go there?
22 so?
25 me up.
2 you up.
7 BY MR. SAVAGE:
11 you know, shortly after that, we fell out over that. Once
16 number is she?
23 Q Uhm-hum.
4 Q Funny money.
9 nature?
11 Q Okay.
13 right now.
19 a lot.
5 Club?
8 be that way. And I mean, Rod and I were pretty close, and
17 A I have.
19 color, man."
2 Black power.
11 A Not so much.
15 when a white man gets fired, not like they used to with
18 A Uhm-hum.
20 a non-issue --
24 BY MR. SAVAGE:
2 heard about that? I've heard rumors about he and his wife
4 A That was --
8 booster?
11 Q Yeah.
14 Rush and Stephanie's table and told them that he was going
18 Q Okay.
7 A Oh, yes.
12 garnishment.
13 Q Okay.
18 1800 a month.
6 right now.
7 BY MR. SAVAGE:
4 Q Yes.
3 way?
14 that to me.
15 Q Yeah, yeah.
16 Now, what --
24 --
3 BY MR. SAVAGE:
9 A No.
12 put out a press release to say that these rumors that have
13 been put out in the wake of our nonrenewal are false, they
16 A I doubt that.
18 with Alan Rodemaker that you are having with Rush Propst;
20 A Oh, no.
24 any coach I've ever worked with. This is the first time
2 the board down here. I'll make the assumption that they
3 are good --
5 it.
7 have enough respect for Dr. Cason that if you told him, at
11 Winn-Dixie.
13 A Uhm-hum.
14 Q Well --
16 went. I just told him what the situation was, and Rush
17 had a check made out to him that should have been made out
21 quarterback's name?
22 A Uhm-hum.
2 A Yep.
7 A Oh, Rod?
10 "We are going to win with the guys we raised." I've heard
14 A Who? Me?
15 Q Yeah.
4 BY MR. SAVAGE:
6 to that.
8 BY MR. SAVAGE:
15 Propst"?
17 know how Warren could ever comment about what Rod or any
25 A I don't know.
11 firsthand information?
15 happen.
24 you say or hire people with a secret wife and three kids
15 it?
18 BY MR. SAVAGE:
24 A I am.
2 Q 67.
8 A I --
13 wrong.
14 A Yeah.
16 interested.
19 A Yes.
22 Rush was the other choice. We felt like it was that bad.
14 Mr. Lumley."
17 go ahead.
18 BY MR. SAVAGE:
6 I'm sure they said to run these applicants off. They were
10 know.
16 - - -
20 - - -
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2 GEORGIA:
3 LOWNDES COUNTY:
24 ________________________________
ERIKA A. SJOQUIST, CSR, RPR, CRR
25 GA CCR 5991-4256-1008-8448