Mel Tucker suspended
Michigan State University finds itself again in the midst of a scandal -- and part of the story is that MSU kept some officials in the dark about what was transpiring.
The Detroit News reporters Kim Kozlowski and Hannah Mackay write:
Michigan State University allowed coach Mel Tucker to continue coaching the football program for 10 months following a sexual harassment complaint made against him, and while doing so, it kept half of the university's board in the dark about the investigation into the allegations, two sources told The Detroit News.
According to the two sources familiar with how the elected board officials were notified of the allegations against Tucker made by Brenda Tracy, an advocate against sexual assault and rape victim who was hired to conduct training with MSU's football program, half of the eight-member MSU Board of Trustees learned about the Tucker investigation Sunday from media reports, just hours before his suspension.
The university announced Sunday that Tucker was suspended without pay and that secondary coach Harlon Barnett will serve as acting head coach. Former head coach Mark Dantonio will become an associate head coach.
The Detroit Free Press reports:
The fourth-year head coach is alleged to have masturbated while talking to sexual assault victims advocate Brenda Tracy. Tucker did not deny the incident took place, according to documents in the case. Tracy had been contracted by the school to speak to the MSU football team twice and was an honorary captain at the Spartans' open spring practice April 16, 2022. The alleged phone call took place 12 days later, and Tracy alleged that Tucker canceled her third training session at MSU that was scheduled for July 25, 2022. The two last spoke a week later, Aug. 2, 2022.
