Lawyers for a former Michigan State football staffer are alleging that head coach Mark Dantonio committed multiple NCAA violations while Dantonio's defense is calling the case a "sham," according to court documents filed in federal court in Grand Rapids.

One of the lawyers for Curtis Blackwell, Drew Paterson, filed a response to Dantonio's attorneys late Monday night, detailing the alleged NCAA violations.

Dantonio surprisingly retired Tuesday afternoon, just hours after details of the alleged violations went public.

Blackwell's lawyers allege:

►Dantonio orchestrated employment for the parents of two MSU football players, with mega-donor Bob Skandalaris, whose name is on the football facility.

►Dantonio had Blackwell accompany him on a Metro Detroit home visit of an unnamed five-star recruit, when Blackwell, in his role as director of college advancement and performance, wasn't authorized to conduct off-campus visits.

Dantonio said in his Jan. 10 deposition that Blackwell never did any home visits because it would've been an NCAA violation. He did recall Blackwell once traveling with him to see a recruit, but that Blackwell remained in the car.

In his filing, Paterson said Blackwell "is prepared to provide the court with an affidavit attesting" to the visit of the five-star recruit, which can be "verified by the former five-star recruit and his parents, who were also present during the recruiting visit."

Paterson and Blackwell declined to provide the recruit's name to The Detroit News.

As for the first claim, Dantonio, in his Jan. 10 deposition, said he never directed Blackwell to talk to Skandalaris about employment for family members of "high profile recruits," but he acknowledged that family members were hired — and all were approved by MSU's compliance department, Dantonio said.

Blackwell's lawyers dispute that, citing a Jan. 21 deposition by MSU compliance officer Jennifer Smith, who said she "did not recall the compliance office approving any such arrangements."

Curtis Blackwell was let go by Michigan State football in May 2017. Now, he's speaking out, and battling coach Mark Dantonio and others in court. The Detroit News

The names of the high-profile recruits in question were blacked out in Paterson's filing, which included a new-to-the-public portion of Dantonio's deposition transcript.

Lawyers for Dantonio, ex-athletic director Mark Hollis and ex-president Lou Anna K. Simon — all being sued by Blackwell for wrongful termination — call the NCAA allegations "not only false, but totally gratuitous," according to an email from Dantonio attorney Thomas G. Kienbaum to Blackwell attorneys Tom Warnicke and Paterson.

Paterson made vague NCAA-violation claims in a motion filed last week responding to the lawyers for two MSU Police detectives — whom Blackwell is suing for wrongful arrest, and seeking up to $5.5 million in damages. The detectives' lawyers have petitioned to depose officials with Blackwell's football camp, Sound Mind Sound Body.

"We demand that you withdraw the motion," Kienbaum wrote to Paterson. "We reserve the right to ask for sanctions based on the fact that you chose to malign our clients."

Things have gotten testy between the counsel for Blackwell and the counsel for Dantonio and Co., with Dantonio's lawyers petitioning the court to have the case thrown out, Paterson fined and Paterson suspended from practicing law.

Dantonio's lawyers cite "continued, ongoing misconduct by Blackwell and his counsel" in calling for the sanctions on Paterson, saying with the NCAA-violation claims he made public "false, scandalous, and wholly unsupported accusations."

"This sham should not be allowed to continue," Dantonio's lawyers continued. They have repeatedly chided Blackwell and his lawyers for an excessively drawn-out discovery period. They claim information has been sought that's not relative to the case.

Dantonio's lawyers say this is the latest in a pattern of inappropriate courtroom behavior for Peterson, citing previous cases in which he was reprimanded.

Paterson was admonished by a federal judge and fined $10,000 last year when he made public MSU Police Det. Chad Davis' deposition transcript, despite an agreement between the two sides that the deposition would remain sealed. Paterson has called that an innocent mistake. A judge quickly sealed Davis' deposition, though many reporters already had accessed and downloaded it.

Paterson, to The News, called Dantonio's lawyers' claims "frivolous and meritless."

"It is apparent that Coach Dantonio and his legal counsel have a problem with telling the truth," Paterson said, adding he believes Dantonio might have perjured himself when he said the employment agreements were approved by compliance. "I believe Dantonio may have committed perjury because he testified that he never had Blackwell accompany him to a recruit's home during a recruiting visit when there is evidence that proves otherwise."

Tension started building between the parties late last month, when lawyers for Blackwell requested to depose Dantonio for another hour and five minutes, since his Jan. 10 deposition was cut off at 5 hours and 55 minutes, short of the federally mandated seven hours. Dantonio's lawyers have declined to set up a future deposition, saying Dantonio was only required to appear for one day. Dantonio's lawyers claim Blackwell's lawyers wasted a significant amount of time Jan. 10 with irrelevant questions and excessive breaks.

Only select portions of Dantonio's deposition have been made public, but nothing on the recruitment of Auston Robertson, who had a long history of sexual misconduct before MSU accepted him. He's now serving up to 10 years in prison for rape.

Blackwell worked at MSU from 2013 until May 2017, when his contract wasn't renewed for what Dantonio called "philosophical differences." Dantonio, while on a train in Italy, called Blackwell to let him know he wasn't being retained. Dantonio, in his deposition, cited "friction" between Blackwell and the rest of the football department; said NCAA rules had changed regarding camps, which limited Blackwell's effectiveness; and said he had an opportunity to hire longtime NFL executive Sheldon White, who was more than capable of filling Blackwell's responsibilities.

Blackwell continues to say he was made the "fall guy" following a 2017 on-campus party where three MSU football players allegedly sexual assaulted a female. MSU Police accused Blackwell of obstructing the investigation, which included more than 100 witness interviews and eventually led to pled-down convictions and removal from the team for the three football players. Blackwell has said MSU was eager to make a big statement regarding sexual misconduct under the cloud of the Larry Nassar scandal.

Neither side has expressed an interest in settling the lawsuit, which was originally filed in November 2018.

MSU officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.