Former Michigan State Coach Mel Tucker Files 75-Page Lawsuit Against School: 'Improper, Sham Investigation'
Former Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker has filed a lengthy, 75-page lawsuit against his former employer.
Tucker, 52, had been fired by Michigan State after accusations of sexual harassment from activist Brenda Tracy. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Tucker alleges that the school undertook an "improper, sham investigation" that violated his due process rights, equal protection and his employment contract.
The lawsuit alleges that Michigan State handled the investigation poorly because university administrators were terrified of the media making connections between Tucker's case and the Larry Nassar abuse scandal.
"The dysfunction at the highest level of the University’s leadership resulted in a siege mentality among the individual Board members and members of the administration," the lawsuit reads, "with each member concerned primarily with protecting themselves and preserving their positions and their careers."
Tucker alleges that the investigation was conducted in "bad faith," with unsatisfactory due process. "The Defendants (administrators at Michigan State) manipulated and misused those processes to advance their own interests in preserving their positions and reputations while engaging in a course of bad faith conduct designed to decimate the career and reputation of Plaintiff. In this, the Defendants were wildly successful."
"As a direct and proximate result of the Defendants’ unlawful actions, Plaintiff has suffered, continues to suffer, and will suffer irreparable harm, injury, and damages," it says, "including but not limited to the loss of his position as Head Coach, loss of future employment opportunities, mental and emotional distress, humiliation and embarrassment, and loss of personal and professional reputation."
Head coach Mel Tucker of the Michigan State Spartans reacts from the side line during the first quarter of their game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Spartan Stadium on October 15, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Mel Tucker Seeking Unspecified Damages After ‘Improper’ Investigation
While claiming that the school "manipulated" its process to ensure that it could fire Tucker, the lawsuit alleges that the school caused "hundreds of millions" in damages.
"By improperly weaponizing the University’s investigative procedures against Plaintiff, the Defendants have caused, and continue to cause, Plaintiff to experience severe emotional harm and suffering, and have caused hundreds of millions in damages," it states.
Though it's unclear how much of those alleged damages Tucker is seeking to recover from the school. The university did not have a comment when reached by members of the media.
While there's a strong element of he said-she said to the lawsuit, namely that Tucker says the entire relationship with Tracy was consensual, it wouldn't be surprising for university administration to decide unilaterally that an employee accused of sexual harassment should be terminated. Especially when that same university mishandled one of the most infamous cases of widespread sexual abuse in collegiate athletics history.
For his side, Tucker says that the school worked with Tracy to file the complaint against him, while ignoring evidence showing that he was innocent.
Administrators are generally terrified of negative media attention, and with Tucker's high profile and an accusation from a rape survivor and activist, there's little doubt which side the media would fall on. Given the stakes involved and accusations being raised, it seems unlikely there will be a resolution anytime soon. One thing's certain though, Tucker isn't giving up in his fight against the university.