By Scott Salomon
Editor’s Note: Since publication, Tucker has been suspended without pay.
According to several news outlets, including the Detroit Free Press, Michigan State Head Football Coach Mel Tucker is not only the subject of a sexual harassment claim, but he admitted the same to the University investigator based upon the alleged victim’s Title IX complaint filed in December 2022. Tucker maintains the position that the call and language used during it were consensual. The victim tells a much different story.
Brett McMurphy of ESPN has reported that Michigan State has announced that it is holding a press conference at 5 pm with interim President Teresa Woodruff and Athletic Director Alan Haller to “provide an update on the football program.”
As a result of the incident, Michigan State is holding a hearing to determine if they can terminate him for cause. A hearing is set for October to determine if “cause” exists.
In the interim, he should be suspended indefinitely without pay and kept away from the team, the facilities, and other MSU students.
There is no way that the Board of Trustees could allow a man to coach and mold student-athletes and serve as the face of the University’s football team who has confessed to masturbating while on the phone with a college football sexual assault advocate, who was also a victim of alleged rape prior to meeting Tucker and him allegedly engaging in said phone sex, while on the phone with her.
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Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker is the subject of an ongoing university sexual harassment investigation, multiple sources with knowledge of the pending case confirmed to ESPN.https://t.co/SmpCjwjNPl
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 10, 2023
The allegations come in the wake of Larry Nassar, who worked for Michigan State. The institution failed to take any action or have any investigation into sexual abuse claims by over 300 female athletes. Nassar, who is currently in federal prison and will be for the rest of natural life, for his actions, was a team doctor for the University and U.S.A. Gymnastics.
If the University does not suspend Tucker immediately and terminate him for cause, a miscarriage of justice will take place.
Tucker, who is supposed to hold his weekly press conference tomorrow to discuss the Spartans’ next game cannot continue to represent the University or its football team.
Brenda Tracy has gone on record with Tucker’s actions and he has openly admitted to the phone sex that allegedly took place on April 28, 2022. Tucker just maintains the position that it was consensual.
Tracy told USA TODAY a different story, and that “the idea that someone could know me and say they understand my trauma on me, is so disgusting to me, she said. “It’s hard for me to even wrap my mind around it.”
Tucker wrote in a March 22 letter to investigators that he was not proud of his actions and that he is having trouble forgiving himself for getting into the situation in the first place. The record is silent as to whether or not he apologized to the victim for his actions.
According to the Free Press, Tucker’s contract with the University is fully guaranteed, but there are morals clauses that could allow MSU officials to terminate Tucker and not be accountable for his salary.
Tucker got involved with Tracy when she was offered the opportunity to speak to the team about sexual assault. She visited East Lansing once in April of 2021 before the alleged offense occurred. She spoke to a packed auditorium in the University football operations building about the pain that she suffered as a result of being allegedly gang-raped when she was 24 years old.
She was supposed to go back to East Lansing in July of 2021 but never went due to the alleged action by Tucker. She claims to have canceled the visit due to the unwanted phone sex.
There will be a hearing in October to determine Tucker’s liability and whether he can be fired for cause. He would lose out on approximately $80 million and various other benefits including the use of a private plane and a $2 million life insurance policy on his life.
His contract was supposed to run through the 2032 season.
The phrase that can hang Tucker, and the reason why he should be fired forthwith is “if the coach engages in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude which, in the University’s reasonable judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule on the University.”
To quote the Free Press story, Michigan State University’s human relations policy for all employees uses the same language of the contract and goes on further to state, “a faculty member may be disciplined or dismissed for cause on grounds including but not limited to…(3) acts of moral turpitude substantially related to the fitness of faculty members to engage in teaching, research, service/outreach, and/or administration.”
Tracy and Tucker have also deleted all text messages between the two after the alleged incident which poses a problem for investigators as they prepare for the October hearing.
Tucker first contacted Tracy with good intentions as he wanted her to address the team to discuss sexual assault and sexual violence in sports. She never got to address the team as she terminated her relationship with Tucker after the alleged incident took place.
To make matters worse, Tucker allegedly threatened to ruin Tracy’s career and reputation by concocting a story that she mixes business with pleasure and then files false allegations.
