09-21-2023
Mel Tucker, head coach of Michigan State University’s (MSU) football team, was suspended without pay after reports that he is being investigated for alleged sexual harassment. Brenda Tracy, founder of Set the Expectation where she advocates for ending sexual violence and who herself is a rape survivor, alleges in her complaint to the MSU Title IX office that Tucker made sexual comments and masturbated while on a phone call with her.
Tucker has released a statement calling the claim of allegations from sexual misconduct "completely false." He indicated that he helped bring Tracy to campus for a presentation in 2021 in support of her sexual misconduct prevention work. Tucker indicated that a friendship developed “that grew into an intimate, adult relationship” and described the phone call as “consensual phone sex.”
Tucker also claims that the investigation conducted by a third-party attorney was not within the jurisdiction of Title IX and characterized the upcoming hearing at the university a “sham” that was “not designed to arrive at the truth.” On Monday, MSU notified Tucker in writing that it intended to terminate his contract for cause.