September 15th 2023.
Mark Dantonio's return to Michigan State University has been met with much trepidation. Interim president Teresa Woodruff announced at a press conference on September 10th that the former football coach has agreed to come out of retirement to help weather the storm of a sexual harassment investigation involving head coach Mel Tucker.
Dantonio's tenure at the university began in 2007, and was unfortunately marred by numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the athletes on his roster. At least 16 MSU athletes were accused of sexual assault or violence against women during his time at the helm of the football program.
Tucker, who was only the second black man to hold the position in the university's history, is currently facing allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances towards prominent rape survivor Brenda Tracy. According to USA Today, Tucker and Tracy had joined forces earlier this year to educate players about the various definitions of sexual assault, including non-physical interactions. However, Tracy has since claimed that during a phone call in 2022, Tucker made inappropriate comments to her while masturbating. Tucker has denied all allegations, maintaining that their interaction was "completely consensual".
The return of Dantonio raises many questions about how the university plans to face yet another sexual harassment claim. Michigan State's athletic department has been the center of a highly publicized case involving Larry Nassar, who is currently serving a 175-year sentence for the abuse of over 300 student athletes. Furthermore, a 2020 investigation into the university's athletic department found that Dantonio had participated in coverups for players accused of sexual misconduct. He was also accused of committing NCAA recruitment violations and ignoring warnings about a player he recruited who was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting a fellow MSU student. Despite being cleared of all wrongdoing, Dantonio chose to retire in early 2020.
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