Earlier this month, Michigan State gave notice of its intention to fire head football coach Mel Tucker for cause after being suspended for a sexual misconduct scandal involving a complaint by Brenda Tracy. Mel Tucker’s attorneys responded to Michigan State’s letter expressing its intent to fire the head football coach for cause, claiming that the university adopted allegations against Tucker “without any meaningful review of the facts,” according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Tucker’s lawyers laid out a 25-page document that explained point-by-point why the school should not be allowed to fire him for cause. The letter from Foley & Lardner LLP is in response to a letter from Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller that stated the school intends to fire Tucker on Tuesday unless reasons were presented as to why it shouldn’t. The response from Foley & Lardner LLP claims that Tucker did not engage in behavior that was unprofessional or unethical.

“[Tucker] did not engage in unprofessional or unethical behavior or ‘moral turpitude’ by any stretch of the imagination,” the letter from Tucker’s says. “In fact, as discussed below, under Michigan law, assault and battery does not even constitute ‘moral turpitude,’ and the flimsy foundation of the university’s finding — a private relationship involving mutual flirting and one instance of consensual phone sex — falls far short of the mark.”

The university opened an investigation into Tucker in 2022 as a result of Brenda Tracy’s complaint, and now believes it can fire him for cause as a result of findings from the investigation.