An outside investigation led by Virginia-based Title IX attorney Amanda Norris Ames concluded that former Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker was responsible for violating the school's sexual harassment policy, as reported by USA Today's Kenny Jacoby.
Rape survivor and activist and educator Brenda Tracy filed a complaint with the university's Title IX office against Tucker 10 months ago, accusing the ex-coach of sexual harassment and exploitation.
A seven-month investigation ensued, and MSU also held a formal hearing on Oct. 5, which Tucker did not attend. MSU notably suspended Tucker on Sept. 10 before firing him for cause two weeks later.
Now the investigation is over, and a 73-page report, which Tracy provided to USA Today, reveals that Ames concluded that "Tucker sexually harassed and exploited Tracy when he masturbated and made sexual comments without her consent during an April 2022 phone call, eight months after he hired her as a sexual violence prevention educator," per Jacoby.
The conclusion of the report reads as follows:
"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."
Tucker served as MSU's head coach for 34 games since the beginning of the 2020 season. His tenure ended two games into the 2023 campaign.
Tracy spoke with Jacoby after the report was released.
"My first reaction was tears of relief," Tracy said. She also noted that the reporting process has "been a nightmare to navigate."
Per Jacoby, "Tucker could not immediately be reached for comment."
The Ames-led report indicated that Tucker made contradictory statements and falsehoods when it came to his case.
Tucker's defense was a claim that he and Tracy were involved in a romantic relationship, but there was no supporting evidence to suggest that was the case in the form of either documentation or witnesses to corroborate, per the report.
Ames also stated that Tucker made false claims about where he was when the phone call in question between him and Tracy occurred. Tucker said that he was either at home in East Lansing, Michigan, or on a non-university-sponsored trip, but neither turned out to be the case.
Rather, Tucker was in Florida at the time on a university-sponsored trip in which he both attended a charity golf tournament and supported a MSU program designed to help farmworkers get college degrees.
Tucker also reportedly gave conflicting reasons for why he canceled a trip Tracy was set to make in July 2022, three months after the phone call occurred.
In addition to the phone call, Ames reported that there was evidence Tucker made unwanted advances to Tracy on two occasions. The first occurred in November 2021, when he called her shirtless on FaceTime. He also reportedly called Tracy asking to meet him alone in a secret location following the Spartans' 2022 spring football game.
Per the report, Tracy repeatedly expressed her desire to keep the relationship professional and she was afraid of jeopardizing her business relationship with the university as well.
With the investigation concluded, Tucker has the option to file an appeal within 10 business days. The school can choose to deny the appeal, however, which would render Ames' conclusion and MSU's decision final.
