Report: Brenda Tracy granted restraining order against Mel Tucker, private texts off limits

On Friday, USA Today reporter Kenny Jacoby provided a pivotal update on the Mel Tucker investigation.

“Brenda Tracy was granted a restraining order barring Tucker, his attorney and others from releasing more of her private texts,” Jacoby wrote on Twitter. “A judge said the messages from her deceased assistant’s phone appear to have been ‘gathered in violation of Michigan law.'”

Tracy alleged in a Title IX complaint that the former Michigan State head coach repeatedly made sexual comments and masturbated during a phone call on April 28, 2022. The allegations led to an investigation, which ultimately ended with Tucker being fired for cause. 

Michigan State believes it does not owe Mel Tucker any of the nearly $80 million remaining on his contract. However, Tucker believes that he was fired unfairly and is owed the money.

Michigan State held a Title IX hearing on Thursday and Friday regarding the case. However, Tucker was unable to attend in person due to a medical issue.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the letter from Tucker’s lawyers is attempting to show contradictions in the allegations from Tracy. It also alleges that she “manipulated a key witness” and “deleted key evidence.” The letter was released moments after the hearing began on Thursday morning.

Mel Tucker fights back against MSU’s decision

Michigan State officially fired Tucker for cause last week after giving him notice of those plans seven days prior. The investigation into Tucker’s action are ongoing. Tucker is fighting back against the university’s decision to fire him.

Tucker spoke out about the university’s reaction last week, reiterating his stance that Tracy’s claims are “baseless” and the university’s process was a “miscarriage of justice.”

“I am disappointed but not surprised to learn that MSU intends to terminate my contract over Ms. Tracy’s improper public disclosure of the entire 1200-page investigation file regarding her baseless complaint against me,” the statement read, in part. “Let’s be clear. I don’t believe MSU plans to fire me because I admitted to an entirely consensual, private relationship with another adult who gave one presentation at MSU, at my behest, over two years ago. A cursory reading of the facts and timeline should cause any fair-minded person to conclude that other motives are at play.”

Michigan State AD Alan Haller released a statement regarding the final decision to fire Tucker for cause, pointing to the “litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior” included in his 25-page response.

“Simply put, Mr. Tucker’s response does not provide any information that refutes or undermines the multiple grounds for termination for cause set forth in the notice,” Haller said, via SpartanMag. “Instead, his 25-page response, which includes a 12-page letter from his attorney and a 13-page ‘expert report,’ provides a litany of excuses for his inappropriate behavior while expressly admitting to the problematic conduct outlined in the notice.”

On3’s Nick Kosko and Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.