Anti-sexual violence educator Brenda Tracy has addressed her identity being leaked to media without her permission amid the sexual misconduct scandal embroiling suspended Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Tracy says that she only shared her story and documents corroborating her claims with USA TODAY after Tucker and his lawyer “made it very evident” she needed to “defend and protect” herself during the university's investigative process. She “did not want” her accusations against Tucker made public, the statement reads, but “had no choice” to approve the story being published because “someone outed” her to the media.

Tracy alleges that Tucker, without her consent, made sexual comments about her and masturbated “for several minutes” during a phone call that took place on April 28th, 2022. Tucker maintains the pair engaged in “consensual phone sex,” vehemently denying the claims while attacking Tracy's motives ever since the formal complaint against him was made last December.

Tucker was suspended by Michigan State on Sunday, mere hours after Tracy's accusations were made public. As a third-party investigation into the claims continues, Tucker has publicly doubled down on his denials, calling Tracy's story “completely false” and insisting an upcoming hearing to determine whether he violated Michigan State policy is “ridiculously flawed and not designed to arrive at the truth.”

Tracy, a rape survivor, first met Mel Tucker last fall when she spoke to Michigan State football about the perils of sexual violence. Aspects of Tucker's denials, like whether he cancelled Tracy's planned trip back to campus in July 2022, directly contradict prior statements he made to the school's outside investigator, according to USA TODAY.