Michigan State coach Mel Tucker under investigation for sexual harassment of rape survivor, activist

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is the topic of an ongoing college investigation into allegations of sexual harassment stemming from a criticism filed via Brenda Tracy in December 2022, the distinguished rape survivor and activist in opposition to sexual violence informed USA Today.

In the criticism, Tracy alleges Tucker made sexually suggestive feedback and masturbated whilst she “sat frozen for several minutes” all the way through a telephone name on April 28, 2022. Tracy visited MSU a minimum of 3 times as an activist beginning in 2021 — together with as soon as wherein she used to be known as an honorary captain at a Michigan State spring soccer sport — and constructed a courting with Tucker as section of her paintings on campus.

Tracy additionally alleges numerous other inappropriate incidents.

“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,” Tracy informed USA Today. “It’s like he sought me out just to betray me.”

Tracy used to be gang raped by the hands of 4 males — 3 faculty soccer avid gamers and a recruit — in 1998. She went public in 2014 and has since reworked that tense enjoy right into a message she has sprawled throughout faculty sports activities: Violence in opposition to ladies will have to prevent.

In statements supplied to the Title IX investigator, Tucker stated that the April 28 telephone name passed off; on the other hand, he claimed it used to be a consensual come across. 

“Ms. Tracy’s distortion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitations has really affected me,” Tucker wrote in a letter to the investigator that used to be received via USA Today. “I am not proud of my judgement and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct by any definition.” 

Michigan State has but to take any motion as section of the investigation as a proper listening to is scheduled for Oct. 5-6, USA Today reviews.

MSU vice chairman Emily Guerrant would now not remark at the explicit investigation to ESPN, however said that any equivalent criticism “would be thoroughly reviewed and followed up on by MSU’s Office for Civil Rights” in a “thorough and confidential manner.”

Michigan State denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request mentioning a privateness exemption that permits a company to not reveal information this is non-public in nature, similar to “when it is intimate, embarrassing, private, or confidential.” ESPN is making ready to document a prison enchantment. 

Tucker is off to a 2-0 get started in his fourth 12 months at Michigan State after beating Richmond 45-14 on Saturday night time. After main the Spartans to an 11-2 report in his 2nd season, Tucker signed a 10-year, $95 million totally assured contract with the varsity. Since then, this system is solely 7-7 and 3-6 in Big Ten play.

There is a clause in Tucker’s contract that permits MSU to fireplace him for reason “if the coach is engaged in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude” or MSU deems mentioned habits to have embarrassed the college.

Michigan State, in the meantime, stays within the midst of seeking to rebuild its recognition after overlooking decades-long proceedings in opposition to Larry Nassar, an MSU doctor and previous USA Gymnastics physician accused of sexually assaulting masses of feminine athletes. Nassar used to be sentenced to as much as 175 years in jail in verdicts reached throughout 2017-18.