REPORT: Michigan State HC Mel Tucker under investigation for sexual harassment
Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker is under investigation by the university for alleged sexual harassment of rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy, according to a report published by USA Today early Sunday morning.
The report was published just hours after Michigan State improved to 2-0 in Tucker's fourth season leading the program following a 45-14 win over Richmond at Spartan Stadium.
Tracy is the lead voice of the nonprofit organization "Set The Expectation", which is "dedicated to ending sexual and interpersonal violence through prevention work with men, advocacy, and engagement with agencies serving survivors and their families", according to the organization's mission statement.
According to USA Today's report, Tracy alleges that Tucker masturbated while making sexual comments about her without her consent during a phone call on April 28, 2022. Tracy filed a complaint with Michigan State University's Title IX office in December of last year, and the investigation remains open.
The report states that upon being introduced to one another through a mutual friend in August 2021, Tracy and Tucker developed a friendship over the next eight months, in which Tucker invited Tracy to the university three times — twice to speak to the football team, and once as an honorary captain in the Spartans' 2022 spring football game. Tracy and Tucker remained friends up until the alleged incident in April 2022.
The report includes conflicting accounts from Tracy and Tucker, in which Tucker admits to the Title IX investigator that he masturbated on the phone call. Tucker claims the act was in the midst of "consensual phone sex" with Tracy, but Tracy says she was not interested in a romantic relationship with Tucker.
"Ms. Tracy's distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me," Tucker wrote in a letter to the investigator in March, according to the report. "I am not proud of my judgement and I am having a difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition."
Tucker is married and has two sons with his wife of over 20 years, Jo-Ellyn Tucker. In November 2021, Tucker signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension with Michigan State.
While Tucker's contract is fully-guaranteed, one clause allows MSU to terminate it without payment if he "engages in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude or which, in the university's reasonable judgement, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule" to the university.
Sports Illustrated reporter Jacoby Andres has more on this developing story below:
Report: Michigan State Coach Mel Tucker Subject of Sexual Harassment Investigation
Content warning: This story contains graphic language of a sexual nature.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is the subject of a sexual harassment investigation by the university, according to a report late Saturday night from Dan Murphy of ESPN.
Citing a source familiar with the investigation, Murphy wrote, "The sources did not confirm the complainant's identity or details about the allegations Saturday night. Sources said the investigation started months ago and remains open."
Following Murphy's report, Kenny Jacoby of USA Today reported the complaint was made by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault survivor who frequently works with sports teams on training related to sexual violence.
According to Jacoby, Tracy alleged Tucker masturbated while making lewd comments about her during a phone call on April 28, 2022. The pair had previously established a working relationship, Tracy speaking to Tucker’s team twice and serving as a captain at the Spartans’ spring game in April 2022.
"The idea that someone could know me and say they understand my trauma but then re-inflict that trauma on me is so disgusting to me, it’s hard for me to even wrap my mind around it,” Tracy told Jacoby. “It’s like he sought me out just to betray me.”
Jacoby wrote that Tucker acknowledged masturbating on the call to university investigators, but characterized the episode as consensual phone sex.
Per ESPN, the university denied a Freedom of Information Act request for records related to the investigation, for which the company is considering legal action.
The reports emerged hours after Michigan State defeated Richmond 45–14 to move to 2–0 on the season, a week after a 31–7 win over Central Michigan in its opener.
Tucker is in his fourth season as the Spartans' coach, and is 20–14 since being hired away from Colorado. After leading Michigan State to the Peach Bowl in 2021, he signed a 10-year, $95 million contract with the school.
