Coach Mel Tucker accused of sexual harassment by former MSU employee.

Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker is at the center of an investigation surrounding his alleged relationship with anti-rape activist Brenda Tracy. According to USA Today, Tracy has accused him of making unwanted sexual comments and masturbating on the phone without her consent.

The two were introduced in 2021 by way of a mutual friend, and at first, the relationship was good. Tucker even invited Tracy to speak to his team about the importance of consent. This was especially relevant due to the university's efforts to redeem its public image following the Larry Nassar scandal.

Tracy described her feelings about the alleged incident in a call on April 28, 2022. She told USA Today, “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. It’s like he sought me out just to betray me.”

Tucker acknowledged that he did masturbate on the phone call, but he claimed that it was a consensual act. He stated, “Ms. Tracy’s distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me. I am not proud of my judgment and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition.”

The case has potentially far-reaching implications for the university's reputation. Jennifer Gomez, a professor at Boston University who researches effects of interpersonal trauma and violence, told USA Today, “This goes beyond coach Tucker and Brenda Tracy. What happens here has the potential to be very healing or very harmful for lots and lots and lots of other people.”

A hearing has been scheduled in October, and the Title IX investigation has already uncovered several discrepancies in Tucker's account. He did not identify any witnesses that could confirm his version of events, and he accused investigative reporter Paula Lavigne of investigating the truthfulness of Tracy's account of the gang rape that is the center of her public-facing work. Lavigne denied this allegation, adding, “I’m perplexed that Mel Tucker would respond to a complaint of sexual harassment by involving me or ESPN.”

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