NEWS
MSU Officially Fires Head Coach Mel Tucker For Cause Following Sexual Harassment Investigation
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Michigan State University on Wednesday fired football coach Mel Tucker, who was suspended without pay earlier this month amid an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
Reports by ESPN and USA Today detailed allegations that Tucker sexually harassed the activist and speaker Brenda Tracy. Tracy had been hired to address the team about sexual assault awareness.
Tracy, a rape survivor who runs a nonprofit that works to educate athletes about sexual violence, was invited to the university by Tucker twice to speak to players and staff, and a third time to be honored as an honorary team captain. Over the course of several months, the two became friendly.
But on April 28, 2022, Tucker allegedly made sexual comments about Tracy for several minutes during a phone call, according to a Title IX complaint Tracy filed with the university in December.
According to her complaint, Tucker’s violation was made all the worse because he knew of her history as a rape survivor. Tracy was raped by two Oregon State University football players, a junior college player and a high school recruit 25 years ago.
The move follows an official notice of intent to terminate Tucker written last week by MSU vice president and director of athletics Alan Haller. The notification process was required under the terms of Tucker’s contract.
Tucker’s behavior “demonstrates ‘conduct which constitutes moral turpitude,’” and “has brought ‘public disrespect, contempt, or ridicule upon the University,” which are grounds for firing, according to the letter.
In response, Tucker and his attorneys sent Haller a 25-page letter detailing why he should not be fired, arguing that the school has no jurisdiction to investigate his “private life.”
“This is nothing more than the schools’ [sic] knee-jerk reaction to negative publicity brought on by Ms. Tracy’s release of the 1200-page investigation file to the national media,” wrote Jennifer Belveal, Tucker’s attorney.
In his letter on Wednesday, Haller repeated that the school has grounds for termination, and noted that Tucker had lied to the investigator.
“Simply put, Mr. Tucker’s response does not provide any information that refutes or undermines the multiple grounds for termination for cause set forth in the notice,” Haller wrote. “Instead, his 25-page response, which includes a 12-page letter from his attorney and a 13-page ‘expert report,’ provides a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior while expressly admitting to the problematic conduct outlined in the notice.”
Although he Tucker has officially been fired, a formal hearing to determine whether he violated school policy remains scheduled for the first week of October.
Tucker’s attorneys have indicated they could sue the university for breach of contract for termination without cause, in an effort to recoup the tens of millions of dollars remaining on the 10-year, $95 million contract signed just two years ago.
Michigan State assistant coach Harlon Barnett has been serving as interim head coach since Tucker’s suspension.
The complaint is a blow to the university, which was still trying to recover its reputation after former USA Gymnastics and campus physician Larry Nassar was accused in 2015 of sexually assaulting hundreds of female athletes over the course of nearly two decades.
Nassar is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole following multiple convictions for the sexual assault of women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.
TMX contributed to this article.
