Judge Dismisses Brenda Tracy’s Lawsuit Against Former MSU Coach Mel Tucker
A legal chapter in the ongoing saga between Brenda Tracy and former Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker has come to a close-at least for now. On Jan. 28, Ingham County Judge Wanda Stokes granted a motion to dismiss Tracy’s lawsuit against Tucker, ending a case that accused the former coach of defamation and intentional harm to her reputation.
Tracy, a nationally recognized advocate for abuse survivors, filed the nine-count suit in October 2024. She alleged that Tucker made false and damaging statements about her, including claims that she fabricated sexual harassment allegations in an attempt to extort him and the university.
Tucker’s legal team responded earlier this month with a motion to dismiss, which Judge Stokes ultimately granted. In her ruling, Stokes found that some of Tracy’s claims were barred by the statute of limitations, while others lacked sufficient factual disputes to warrant a jury trial.
This lawsuit was filed more than a year after Michigan State fired Tucker for cause, following a university-led investigation into a 2022 phone call between Tucker and Tracy. The investigation concluded that Tucker had sexually harassed Tracy during the call by masturbating without her consent. Tucker has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that the relationship was mutual and consensual.
The fallout from that investigation led to Tucker’s dismissal and the termination of his massive contract-worth approximately $95 million over 10 years. With roughly $75 million left on the deal at the time of his firing, Tucker has since filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan State, claiming that the university had no grounds to terminate him for cause and that he is entitled to the remaining salary. That case remains active.
Following the dismissal, Tucker’s attorney Andrew Abood spoke briefly, suggesting that the ruling served as a form of vindication for his client. “Unfortunately, Mel Tucker's stay at Michigan State University will be long remembered not for his two victories against Michigan but for, you know, this occasion,” Abood said. “But he can put this behind him.”
Tracy’s attorney, Karen Truszkowski, declined to comment on the ruling.
While this lawsuit has been dismissed, it’s far from the only legal battle stemming from Tucker’s firing. At least four state or federal lawsuits are in play, including two involving Tracy and Tucker directly. Tracy has also filed a federal suit against the MSU Board of Trustees, alleging that board members leaked her identity to reporters before the sexual harassment investigation became public.
One of the earlier cases between Tracy and Tucker, filed in 2023, revolved around a set of text messages between Tracy and her longtime friend and booking assistant, Ahlan Alvarado. Those messages were released by Tucker’s legal team.
Alvarado, who worked with Tracy’s nonprofit Set The Expectation and passed away in 2024, had been a close confidante of Tracy’s for over 20 years. Judge Stokes also dismissed that case in May 2024, citing that the legal standards for discovery had not been met by Tracy’s attorneys.
Meanwhile, Tucker’s federal lawsuit against Michigan State, filed in July 2024, continues to move forward. That suit could have major financial implications, depending on how the court interprets the university’s justification for terminating his contract.
On the football front, Michigan State has seen a coaching carousel since Tucker’s departure. Jonathan Smith, who was brought in as Tucker’s successor in November 2023, was fired just one year later. On December 1, the university announced the hiring of former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald to take over the reins of the program.
As the legal dust continues to settle, Michigan State is trying to move forward on the field and in the courtroom. But with multiple lawsuits still pending, the story surrounding Mel Tucker and Brenda Tracy is far from over.