CHAVIS - A judge ruled Thursday that a defamation lawsuit filed against LSU by former Tigers assistant coach John Chavis will proceed.

Attorneys for Chavis and the university also argued over Chavis's phone records, which LSU wants a judge to force Chavis to turn over. The judge ruled some of those records will have to be turned over.

The university wants Chavis to pay out a $400,000 clause in his contract for leaving the Tigers to coach at Texas A&M. Chavis claims LSU's statements that he "defected" to the Aggies immediately after the Tigers lost their bowl game last year painted him in a false public light.

Court documents signed by Jill Craft, the attorney representing Chavis, said the relationship between him and LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva grew hostile in November 2014 when Alleva wanted Chavis to sign a new contract. That contract had a clause in it that if head football coach Les Miles were fired, Chavis would be too. The documents said Alleva delivered an ultimatum to Chavis in January, and Chavis resigned to work at Texas A&M.

A Texas judge dismissed the buyout clause lawsuit in order to let the issue play out in Louisiana's courts. At issue is which day was considered Chavis's "last" as coach, which would determine if he fulfilled the buyout clause's conditions or not.