Mel Tucker files wrongful termination lawsuit against Michigan State

Former Michigan State head football coach Mel Tucker, who last September was suspended before being fired shortly thereafter for sexually harassing anti-sexual violence advocate Brenda Tracy, has filed suit against his former employer in federal court. USA Today first reported the existence of the lawsuit.

Tucker is alleging that he was wrongfully terminated and defamed by Michigan State administrators amid the investigation that led to his eventual firing. Tucker, who is Black, is also alleging that he was discriminated against on the basis of his race.

Tucker is seeking compensatory damages as part of his claim, but did not specify an amount.

A number of defendants are named in the suit, including current athletic director Alan Haller and then-interim university president Teresa Woodruff. Along with those two, Tucker has listed the universities general counsel and the members of the board of trustees — Dianne Byrum, Dan Kelly, Sandy Pierce, Kelly Tebay, Dennis Denno, Renee Knake Jeffer, Brianna T. Scott and Rema Vassar — as well as Michigan State University itself.

The full 75-page complaint plus attached exhibits from Tucker outlines what he alleges was a flawed investigative process that led to his ultimately unjust firing. He also alleges that Haller, Woodruff and general counsel Brian Quinn, along with Tracy, took various actions that cut off his ability to get due process from the investigation.

Tucker also pointed to the “toxic administrative environment” at MSU that was set forth by a board of trustees that, in recent years, has been beset by infighting and generalized dysfunction, and alleged that played a role in his ouster, among other factors.

The claims brought by Tucker also include a charge of racial discrimination, as he tried to lay out how his treatment differed from White coaches at Michigan State who were under scrutiny for various issues.

“Not only did the Defendants trample upon Plaintiff’s rights to due process and his contractual rights, but their actions against Plaintiff, who is Black, violated Plaintiff’s constitutional right to equal protection. MSU’s firing of Plaintiff on purely pretextual grounds stands in marked contrast to the University’s handling of public disclosures concerning other high profile MSU coaches who faced accusations that included recruiting violations and a failure to adequately respond to or address serious claims of violence and sexual abuse by members of their respective teams,” the suit reads, in part. 

Tucker is also alleging in his suit that Michigan State leadership was keen to find a way to fire him for cause as a way to circumvent paying the remainder of his nearly $100 million, fully guaranteed contract.

The suit has been filed in the Western District of the United States District Court for Michigan. So far, no hearings or formal appearances have been set.