Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker responded Monday to the school's letter from last week that stated it intended to fire him for cause due to "a body of undisputed evidence of misconduct that warrants termination."
"[Tucker] did not engage in unprofessional or unethical behavior or 'moral turpitude' by any stretch of the imagination," Tucker's response, as penned by his lawyers, read in part. "In fact, as discussed below, under Michigan law, assault and battery does not even constitute 'moral turpitude,' and the flimsy foundation of the university's finding—a private relationship involving mutual flirting and one instance of consensual phone sex—falls far short of the mark."
Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbachMel Tucker and his lawyers have formally responded to Michigan State's notice of intent to fire him for cause. (These are all parts of the process outlined in his contract, btw.) <br><br>Here's the summary from the first two pages of the document: <a href="">
As a part of its decision to fire Tucker for cause, Michigan State cited sexual harassment allegations levied against him. Sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy said Tucker made unwanted sexual advances toward her—which included making comments about her body and flirting with her—and additionally masturbated without consent during a phone call between the pair.
Tucker said the masturbation did occur, but that it was "consensual phone sex," as his lawyers wrote.
Tracy also said Tucker both postponed and cancelled one of her scheduled speaking events at the school after she raised concerns about him.
"The unprofessional and unethical behavior is particularly egregious given that the Vendor at issue was contracted by the University for the sole purpose of educating student-athletes on, and preventing instances of, inappropriate sexual misconduct," athletic director Alan Haller wrote in the school's letter expressing an intent to terminate.
Tucker's lawyers called the investigation against him, which began in December 2022, "terribly flawed, unfair, biased, and devoid of due process."
Tucker, 51, has served as Michigan State's head coach since 2020. The team is 20-14 under his watch. By firing him with cause, the university is hoping to get out of paying him the more than $79 million he's due over the duration of his current contract.
