A former Big Ten football coach is reportedly missing, as officials are struggling to locate him amid a lawsuit filed against him.
Mel Tucker, the former football coach of Michigan State, has been on a roll after Brenda Tracy filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of defamation. Tracy, a rape survivor and advocate, previously engaged with the Michigan State football program about issues of sexual misconduct and personal conduct.
She alleges that during a phone call, Tucker acted inappropriately and engaged in sexual behavior, which Tucker claims was consensual. Following these allegations, Michigan State conducted an investigation.
However, it subsequently terminated Tucker’s employment in 2023 due to violations of the school’s sexual harassment policy.
Recent reports indicate that attempts to serve Tucker with legal documents have been unsuccessful. Tracy’s lawyer has sent certified letters to various addresses, including the former Big Ten coach’s East Lansing home and nine other known locations.
Unfortunately, all letters returned as undeliverable. Furthermore, a process server hired by Tracy also failed to locate the football coach. Tucker was discovered to no longer reside at his East Lansing home, which is now occupied by his ex-wife and ex-mother-in-law.
Brenda Tracy Filed A Defamation Lawsuit Against Big Ten Football Coach Last Year
Brenda Tracy filed a defamation lawsuit against Mel Tucker last year around October. She alleged that the former head football coach’s false claims about their relationship have harmed her reputation and career.
Tracy, an advocate for survivors of sexual violence, alleged in her 30-page lawsuit that Tucker’s assertions of a mutual romance and other defamatory statements caused her to suffer emotionally and financially.
The lawsuit, filed in Ingham County Circuit Court, seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.
The context of this lawsuit is rooted in allegations Tracy made against Tucker in December 2022. She claimed he sexually harassed her while she worked with him to educate his players about sexual assault prevention.
In particular, she cites an incident during a phone call in April 2022, during which Tucker was accused of masturbating without her consent. Tucker’s defense claimed that their interactions were consensual.
However, the lawsuit followed the football coach’s firing from MSU in September 2023. Though it took an eight-month internal investigation into Tracy’s complaints. The MSU investigation ultimately concluded that Tucker had indeed sexually harassed Tracy.
