Giuliani's Son Sues Duke

The son of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is suing Duke University, claiming his golf coach manufactured accusations against him to justify kicking him off the team to whittle the squad.

Andrew Giuliani, a 22-year-old who will be a senior this fall, contends he had dreams of becoming a professional golfer and was dismissed without cause from the golf team in February without a chance to defend himself. He said in a statement yesterday that he sued "to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else at Duke."

Duke spokesman Michael J. Schoenfeld said the university would "vigorously defend this lawsuit."

Giuliani was dismissed because Coach O.D. Vincent III wanted to cut the team from 13 players to about half its size, the lawsuit said. He claims a breach of contract because he was recruited by Duke's previous coaching staff.

The coach said Giuliani "flipped his putter a few feet to his golf bag" and drove fast while leaving a golf course parking lot, according to the lawsuit. Giuliani also was accused of playing a team football game harder than the other players liked and of being disrespectful to a trainer.

But Giuliani says that conduct wasn't grounds for dismissal. Instead, he said, the allegations were fabricated during the coach's "rush to shrink the size of the men's golf team. . . . The termination of Andrew's eligibility would mean less competition for the few spots available," the lawsuit says.

-- From News Services