Mel Tucker responds to Brenda Tracy’s phone s*x allegations, claims they had a consensual relationship
Michigan State Spartans coach Mel Tucker finds himself in a tough spot after accusations of sexual harassment were made against him by Brenda Tracy. The Michigan State coach is one of the most well-known and highest-paid coaches in college football.
It all began when Tracy, who collaborated with Tucker to fight sexual violence and harassment, filed a complaint in December last year. She claimed that when she and Tucker spoke on the phone, he made sexual remarks and also masturbated during the conversation. This horrified Tracy, who said that it brought back memories of past trauma when she was a victim of rape.
However, according to Mel Tucker, Brenda Tracy is misrepresenting the facts. When the investigation was underway, the Michigan State coach wrote a letter to the investigating attorney in March this year.
In the letter, Tucker stated that she and Brenda Tracy had an intimate relationship and the phone sex act was consensual.
"Ms. Tracy's distortotion of our mutually consensual and intimate relationship into allegations of sexual exploitation has really affected me, " Tucker said.
He further wrote in the letter:
"I am not proud of my judgement and I am having difficulty forgiving myself for getting into this situation, but I did not engage in misconduct in any situation"
The official hearing of the complaint by Brenda Tracy is set to be held on October 5 and 6. If Mel Tucker is found guilty of the allegations, he may lose around $80 million that he would earn as the coach of the Michigan State Spartans, apart from the damage to his image.
How well did Mel Tucker and Brenda Tracy know each other?
According to an article by USA Today, both Tucker and Tracy met back in August 2021 when she first visited Michigan State. They were introduced by a mutual friend. After that, she went on to speak about the sexual assault she faced in her childhood and educated the athletes and staff about sexual violence.
This was during Tucker's second season with the Spartans. They almost created a bond with each other, which gradually grew over the course of time. According to the coach, both he and Tracy were developing a romantic bond with each other.
However, Tracy denied these claims, stating that it was more one-sided. She also opened up about how Mel Tucker would talk about being unhappy in his marriage, and make flirtatious comments towards her.
Between 2021 and 2022, Brenda Tracy visited the Michigan State campus three times. During her initial two visits, she went on to educate the staff and players about how to prevent sexual misconduct in the workplace. Her third visit saw her being named the honorary captain of the Spartans during their 2022 spring games.
Now, fans will have to wait until October to see the truth behind these allegations come out.