Mel Tucker tells MSU he will sue unless school pays for legal defense in Tracy lawsuit

LANSING — Former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker has taken steps to sue the school if it doesn’t pay for his defense in a lawsuit brought by Brenda Tracy.

MSU fired Tucker for cause in 2023 following Tracy’s report to the school that he sexually harassed her while she was a university vendor. Tracy is a prominent national advocate for abuse survivors who filed a complaint in December 2022. The school’s investigation later determined that Tucker violated the school’s sexual harassment policy. Tucker has denied any wrongdoing.

In October, Tracy sued Tucker in Ingham County Circuit Court, claiming she lost future earnings and suffered psychologically and emotionally because of Tucker’s false statements, including his claims that she made up allegations in a plot to extort him and the school for money.

On Friday, Andrew Abood, one of Tucker’s attorneys, filed a notice of intent to sue the university, a requirement under state law.

In the notice, Abood wrote that Tracy’s lawsuit is based on Tucker’s conduct in his official capacity so he’s entitled to a university-provided defense, as part of his contract and school policy. He added that MSU had previously declined to cover Tucker’s legal costs. Abood wrote that a resulting lawsuit will seeking at least $125,000.

Tracy and her attorney are still trying to serve Tucker with her lawsuit.

In mid-March, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Wanda Stokes granted a motion from Karen Truszkowski, Tracy’s attorney, that allowed for alternative methods of serving Tucker with Tracy’s lawsuit. Truszkowski wrote in the motion that multiple attempts to reach Tucker at prior addresses had failed. She added that Tucker’s attorneys wouldn’t accept the service on his behalf, effectively putting the case at a standstill.

Messages were left seeking comment from Abood and MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant. Truszkowski declined to comment.

If Friday’s notice of intent to sue results in litigation, it will be the second active lawsuit between Tucker and the school that once signed him to one of the most lucrative contract extensions in college sports. The 2022 extension guaranteed him about $95 million across a decade, unless he was fired for cause.

In 2024, Tucker filed a federal lawsuit against MSU over his firing the year prior. His lawsuit claims the university ran an “improper, biased, and sham investigation” that was designed to fire him following Tracy’s report. Tucker, a Black man, also claimed school officials discriminated against him based on his race.

The federal lawsuit is still pending, although in October the university asked the judge to dismiss it.

Reporter Sarah Atwood contributed to this story. Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at mjmencarini@lsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Mel Tucker to sue MSU unless school pays for defense in Tracy lawsuit