The courtroom drama between Mel Tucker and Michigan State is set to continue after the former head coach got a stunning court ruling in a separate case. That has given him the ammunition he needs to demand a staggering $80 million for wrongful termination by the Spartans.
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The latest development in the case concerns a case where an Ingham County judge ruled that the conversations that Tucker had with Brenda Tracy didn’t constitute sexual harassment and were consensual in nature. Tucker’s attorney is using that ruling to stop a federal court from dismissing the fired head coach’s lawsuit against MSU. As part of the lawsuit, Tucker wants the Spartans to pay over $80 million of what he was owed from his 10-year, $95 million contract he signed with the program.
In September 2023, Michigan State fired Tucker after it investigated allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Tucker filed a federal lawsuit on July 31, 2024. He alleged that his termination was based on a “sham” investigation and sought $80 million in unpaid contract compensation. The suit mainly comprises violations of due process, racial discrimination, and defamation.
Michigan State had fired Tucker after its investigation found that the head coach had allegedly sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, a prominent sexual assault awareness speaker. At the time, MSU AD Alan Haller stated that these advances were “unprofessional and unethical” toward the person the university specifically hired to speak to student-athletes about sexual awareness.
Tucker’s contract allowed termination for cause if he engaged in conduct constituting “moral turpitude” or bringing ridicule to the institution. While Tucker admitted to masturbating, he said in a statement that it was part of a consensual intimate relationship.
BREAKING: Former Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker is asking a federal judge to rule that he was wrongfully terminated from MSU. He is asking for more than $80 million, per the Lansing State Journal.
Tucker was fired by MSU in September of 2023 following an investigation into… pic.twitter.com/022l7f8oQu
— Recruits CFB (@recruits_cfb) February 26, 2026
He claimed that he was denied a proper investigation and a chance to explain himself. Evidently, the University’s front office suspended him just hours after a USA Today report went public, allegedly disregarding facts to manage a “national media firestorm.” He also argued that others discriminated against him because of his race.
Brenda Tracy tried to fight back when the “consensual” part came into the picture. She filed a lawsuit in 2024, claiming that Tucker intentionally tried to ruin her public image and reputation by making false statements. Last month, in a major turn of events, an Ingham County judge, Wanda Stokes, dismissed Tracy’s lawsuit against Tucker. The judge found their relationship consensual.
This dismissal has fueled Tucker’s confidence in asking the federal judge to consider this state ruling as proof that he did not commit sexual harassment. That means the University’s fire-for-cause narrative is no longer standing. If the court approves this, MSU may have to write Tucker a massive $80 million check.
Brendan Tracy’s anger towards the Spartans
Brendan Tracy also showered her anger over Michigan State University. According to her, the school, especially two of its trustees, played a crucial role in leaking her name to the press during what should have been a confidential university investigation. She filed the lawsuit on June 3 last year in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Tracy’s East Lansing–based attorney, Karen Truszkowski, led the lawsuit and named the MSU Board of Trustees as a defendant. The lawsuit mainly accused Trustees Rema Vassar, D-Detroit, and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing. They allegedly leaked her information publicly during the confidential Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) investigation.
“It’s taken a long time to get here, and I’ve been through a lot, but at some point I want to move forward with my life,” Tracy said. “I feel like this is an important step in doing that. I want the people who harmed me to be held accountable, and that’s more than just Mel Tucker.”
Tracy argued that the situation affected her mental health and drained her financially because she had to cover court proceedings and lawyers’ fees. Just a week back, MSU filed a motion to dismiss the case.
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