In Bid To Keep Divorce Private, Ex-MSU Coach Mel Tucker Says He Needs Money To Sue School
Former Michigan State Spartans head coach Mel Tucker intends to sue his former employer for wrongful termination…if he has access to enough money.
Tucker in a court filing has asked a judge to limit public media scrutiny of his divorce proceedings, claiming that he believes his soon-to-be ex-wife will make inaccurate allegations against him. Those false accusations, he says, will be an invasion of privacy and damage his ability to seek future employment.
The latest filing stems from a mutual restraining order granted by an Ingham County Circuit judge in April that prevents Tucker from using the couple's money to pay legal bills. Tucker's filing though, says he needs access to that money to win more money from a lawsuit.
"Plaintiff's allegations, and the resulting order, simply put, are cutting her nose off to spite herself," the filing reads according to USA Today.
Tucker's divorce stems from the sexual harassment allegations he faced starting in 2023, when activist Brenda Tracy accused him of unwanted advances, including non-consensual phone sex. Tucker acknowledged the phone sex incident, though claimed it was consensual.
He was then fired several weeks after being placed on unpaid leave. Because the school believed it had cause, the vast majority of his $95 million contract was voided.
Mel Tucker, former head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, is hoping to regain the ability to use marital assets for legal fees. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Mel Tucker Needs Access To Joint Funds To Pay Legal Bills
Tucker's wife, Jo Ellyn Tucker, filed for divorce in April, and was granted the restraining order several weeks later. The complaint said that Mel had used over $1.5 million in joint funds to pay personal legal bills, as well as switching funds between different accounts so she wouldn't have access.
The new filing says that Jo Ellyn knew of his plans to consolidate retirement accounts, that she was never able to access them regardless, and that the legal bills were justified given the size of their joint worth. Tucker also claims that his wife's allegations had received coverage damaging to his reputation, necessitating the ask to seal records and discovery.
"Disclosure of this information is annoying, embarrassing, oppressive and unduly burdensome to both parties if it is not kept confidential," the filing says.
It's unclear how good of a case Tucker has against the school, or whether the judge will grant his request. But it's an indication of just how messy the situation is for the 52-year-old. He's consistently maintained his innocence and that he was wrongly fired.
READ: Mel Tucker's Lawyer Claims Hundreds of Text Messages From Brenda Tracy Show Coach Was Wrongly Fired
The school though, disagreed. And now he'll need some help from the courts to fight it.