Early in the 2023 season, then Michigan State football head Mel Tucker was suspended because of sexual harassment allegations from Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor that was brought to the program to educate the players on the topic. Tucker was fired later in the season while the situation was being investigated, and he has now filed a lawsuit against Michigan State for wrongful termination.
After a very successful 2021 season as the head coach of the Michigan State football team, Mel Tucker became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. He signed a 10-year, $95 million dollar deal. However, the Spartans are now off the hook for around $75 million because Tucker was fired for cause.
Tucker does not think the university has treated him fairly, and he does not believe that they had good reason to fire him.
“By improperly weaponizing the University's investigative procedures against Plaintiff,” The lawsuit states, according to an article from USA Today. “The Defendants have caused, and continue to cause, Plaintiff to experience severe emotional harm and suffering, and have caused hundreds of millions in damages.”
Rita Glavin is the attorney representing Tucker, and she said in a statement that the conduct shown by Michigan State was shameful and illegal.
“MSU's conduct was not only shameful, it was illegal,” The statement read. “Mel looks forward to vindication.”
Brenda Tracy accused Mel Tucker of numerous inappropriate acts, and she revealed that Tucker once masturbated during a phone call that the two of them had. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller decided that Tucker's actions were unprofessional and unethical, and that was the reason for the firing.
“It is decidedly unprofessional and unethical to flirt, make sexual comments, and masturbate while on the phone with a University vendor,” Haller said in his termination letter to Tucker. “Your unconvincing rationalizations and misguided attempts to shift responsibility cannot and do not excuse your own behavior.”
Mel Tucker believes that his firing was due to USA Today receiving a confidential case file
It is clear that Mel Tucker believes that Michigan State did not have good reason to fire him, and he believes that it only happened because of Brenda Tracy releasing a confidential case file to USA Today.
“Once Tracy’s claims and the illegitimate investigative materials were made public by Tracy herself,” The lawsuit says. “University officials conspired to establish a pretextual basis to terminate Plaintiff’s contract without a hearing.”
Tucker became the head coach of the Michigan State football team before the 2020 season. His massive contract extension came after an 11-win season in 2021 that included a win over rival Michigan and a win in the Peach Bowl. Things began to fall apart in 2022 and 2023, however, and fans were starting to wonder if Tucker really was the right man for the job. Then, everything went down with Brenda Tracy, and Tucker was fired.
Michigan State finished the rest of last season with an interim coach, and they finished the year 4-8. They hired former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith in the offseason to replace Tucker.
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