In a 73-page report released Wednesday, Michigan State found Mel Tucker sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, a prominent sexual violence advocate and survivor in college football, who once worked with Tucker's Michigan State program to prevent sexual harassment and violence.
The report concluded:
In sum, considering all available evidence, the Resolution Officer finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Respondent subjected Claimant to unwelcome conduct based on sex when he FaceTime video called Claimant without a shirt on; when he attempted to meet up with Claimant alone following the Spring Game; and when he non-consensually masturbated and used graphic, sexual language on a phone call with Claimant.
Michigan State held a formal hearing via Zoom on Oct. 5, following seven months of investigation by an outside attorney hired by MSU. Tucker had hoped to defend himself at the hearing, but USA Today reports Tucker did not attend.
Michigan State suspended Tucker on Sunday, Sept. 10, hours after USA Today reported on Tucker's relationship with Tracy.
The school fired Tucker for cause on Sept. 27. AD Alan Haller wrote in his explanation that even in Tucker's version of events, he still acted outside the moral turpitude clause in his contract. Tucker has argued Tracy was no longer a Michigan State vendor at the time he attempted to enter into a consensual relationship with her, and that his actions were outside Michigan State's scope of authority.
Amanda Norris Ames, a Virginia based-Title IX attorney hired to hear the case, said Tucker's contradictory statements made his account difficult to believe. Ames also found Tracy brought more corroborating evidence to support her account than Tucker did. From USA Today:
A key claim that damaged Tucker's credibility, Ames wrote, were his false statements to the investigator that he had been either at home in Michigan or on a non-university-sponsored trip when the now-infamous phone call occurred. Records obtained by the investigator showed Tucker had, in fact, been in Florida, attending a charity golf tournament on the university's dime. An expense report he submitted to Michigan State seeking reimbursement for his hotel and meals showed the trip's purpose was administrative and did not involve personal travel.
Tucker and Tracy did not speak for three months after the infamous April 2022 phone call in which Tucker masturbated with Tracy on the line. Tucker claimed he was "too busy" to speak with Tracy during that time; the attorney Ames found that inconsistent considering the two spoke frequently over the course of the 2021 football season. Tucker also claimed a scheduling conflict forced him to cancel Tracy's scheduled visit for July 2022, but Michigan State's schedule revealed the program had no outside programming the week Tracy was supposed to appear.
Tucker has 10 business days to file an appeal.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.