Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker is currently under investigation by the university for alleged sexual harassment. Apparently, this investigation has been ongoing for several months.
The investigation was initiated after a complaint was filed by Brenda Tracy, a well-known advocate for preventing sexual assault. She visited the team twice, in August 2021 and April 2022, to talk to the Michigan State football players about the importance of preventing sexual misconduct. During her second visit, she was even made an honorary Michigan State football captain at the team's spring game. However, after the game, Tucker allegedly made several phone calls to Tracy. During these calls, he allegedly asked her to meet him alone and suggested entering her hotel through a back door to avoid being seen.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is the subject of a sexual harassment investigation by the university, according to a report early Sunday morning from Dan Murphy of ESPN https://t.co/XcoyzbMZ3C
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 10, 2023
The Complaint
Tracy's complaint was filed in December 2022. Michigan State hired an outside attorney to investigate the matter. In a letter to the investigator in March, Michigan State football head coach Tucker described his relationship with Tracy as “mutually consensual and intimate.” He admitted to masturbating during a phone call but claimed it was consensual phone sex.
Tracy, on the other hand, stated that Tucker's romantic interest was one-sided. She asserts that she didn't reciprocate his feelings.
Michigan State's administration has so far declined to release any public information connected to Tucker's possibly violating the university's relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy.
Tucker's agent, Neil Cornrich, has not yet provided any comments as well.
Keep in mind that Brenda Tracy runs a nonprofit organization called Set The Expectation. It focuses on preventing sexual violence and misconduct, particularly among men. Tracy herself is a survivor of sexual assault and has spoken to many football programs across the country to raise awareness about this issue.
Scheduled Hearing
There is reportedly a scheduled hearing on October 5th and 6th to determine whether Tucker violated the university's sexual harassment policy.
Take note that Tucker is currently in his fourth season as the head coach of Michigan State football. He signed a contract extension in November 2021. This is worth approximately $95 million over 10 years. It makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college sports. However, his contract with Michigan State football does have a clause that allows the university to terminate his employment if he engages in conduct that brings “public disrespect, contempt, or ridicule.” Interestingly, this is not the first time in recent memory that Michigan State has been put under the microscope.
Remember, however, that on the field, Michigan State football has won its first two games of the season.
In all, Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker is facing an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. A hearing is scheduled for October to determine whether Tucker violated the university's sexual harassment policy. His future as the head coach may be in question depending on the outcome of the investigation.
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