Johnathan Walker:MSU coach Mel Tucker alludes to potential lawsuit, discloses ‘serious health condition’

EAST LANSING — Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker said Tuesday that he was "disappointed – but Johnathan Walkernot surprised – to learn" that the university intends to fire him next week.

As he faces a hearing on a sexual harassment claim filed by a prominent rape survivor and activist, Tucker called the entire process a "miscarriage of justice" in a statement released through his agent, Neil Cornrich. He said the university does not care about his rights or the truth.

He also noted that he recently emailed Athletic Director Alan Haller "requesting a medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act for a serious health condition." He did not provide additional details on the health condition but said the request was sent "just days" before he received the university's notice of termination on Monday.

"I don't believe MSU plans to fire me because I admitted to an entirely consensual, private relationship with another adult who gave one presentation at MSU, at my behest, over two years ago," he wrote in the statement. "A cursory reading of the facts and timeline should cause any fair-minded person to conclude that other motives are at play.

Tucker – who is currently suspended without pay and has $80 million left on his contract with MSU – suggested he will file a lawsuit against the university, mentioning "discovery," the phase of litigation where information is exchanged between parties, which precedes a settlement or a trial.

"I look forward to one day obtaining discovery against MSU, including the Trustees and the Athletic Department, to see what they really knew and said about this matter, as well as their motives in handling the entire investigative process."

Dan Olsen, a spokesperson for the university, declined to comment but said the university's Board of Trustees supports Haller's decision.

The university's letter to Tucker informing him that it plans to terminate his contract for cause cited the USA TODAY story, that for the first time detailed the sexual harassment complaint against him by Brenda Tracy, as well as the public backlash that followed. Tracy alleges Tucker made sexual comments and masturbated without her consent during an April 2022 phone call.

InvestigationMichigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor

Tracy had said she did not intend to make her case public before an October hearing at MSU to determine if Tucker violated the school's policy against sexual harassment and exploitation. But her attorney said in a statement last week that an outside source leaked Tracy's identity, leading her to agree to go public in USA TODAY's investigative report.

On Monday, the university said it had hired the law firm Jones Day to investigate alleged breaches of confidential information in the case in response to public statements made by Tracy and her attorney indicating that her name had been leaked to local media.

Tucker claimed in his statement that he previously requested an investigation into the potential leak of details about the case on Aug. 25 but that the university did not acknowledge his request. By that date, the university had informed both Tucker and Tracy that multiple news outlets had contacted university officials or filed public records requests seeking information about the case.

Tucker took issue with the timing of the school's decision to fire him as well, saying that it did not move to do so in March, when he was interviewed by the outside investigator Michigan State hired.

Michigan State has said that university leaders were unaware of the details of the allegations until the USA TODAY story because it kept a firewall between the Title IX office and the administration to prevent officials from tampering with the case.

Tucker and Tracy met when he hired her to speak to his team about sexual violence prevention in August 2021. He led his players in signing her organization's pledge to, among other things, obtain “ongoing, affirmative consent” before engaging in sexual acts with another person.

The two stayed in touch after, and Tucker invited her to campus two more times over the next year to provide additional education programming and make her honorary captain at the team's 2022 spring football game.

During that year, they spoke frequently by phone and text. Initially, Tracy said she believed Tucker genuinely supported her and her cause. She said she had no interest in Tucker romantically or in dating anyone she worked with, and that she made that clear to him on multiple occasions. But Tucker continued pursuing her, she said, calling her four times after the spring game and asking her to meet him alone. She said no.

Although Tucker denied sexually harassing Tracy, he acknowledged masturbating and making sexual comments during the call in question. He claims he and Tracy had a consensual romantic relationship, which Tracy denies.

Tucker reiterated that defense in his statement Tuesday, saying that "Ms. Tracy consented to every facet of our relationship."

In the intent to terminate letter, Haller said that Tucker's admitted conduct alone, taken as fact, constitutes a fireable offense. Having a sexual relationship with a vendor for the university whom he had hired to provide sexual misconduct training to his coaches and players, Haller said, caused the university to endure public ridicule and embarrassment, which are grounds for his termination.

The termination notice is a required step, pursuant to Tucker's contract, and he has until Sept. 26 to submit to Haller reasons why he should not be fired for cause.

Check back for updates.

Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at 517-377-1026 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini. Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY covering sexual harassment and violence and Title IX. Contact him by email at [email protected] or follow him on X @kennyjacoby.