The woman who accused fired Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker of sexual harassment says the embattled 53-year-old has vanished amid her attempts to serve him with a defamation lawsuit.
Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and victims’ advocate, says she filed the defamation lawsuit in October, but has been unable to proceed because she’s been unable to serve him with court papers. As reported by Statenews.com, Tracy’s attorneys have attempted to serve him at his nine previously known addresses and an East Lansing, Michigan home he’s said to still own.
All of the certified letters have been returned without a forwarding address and Tucker’s lawyers have also declined to accept the lawsuit on his behalf, according to a new filing from Tracy. Attempts to use a process server were, similarly, unsuccessful, according to Tracy.
Tracy is now asking Ingham County Court to help serve Tucker with her lawsuit. DailyMail.com has reached out to an attorney who previously represented Tucker in his wrongful termination lawsuit against Michigan State.
The defamation lawsuit stems from Tucker’s wrongful termination lawsuit against Michigan State, in which he claims that he and Tracy were in a ‘consensual and deeply personal relationship.’
Tucker was found responsible for violating the school’s sexual harassment policy in October of 2023 after Tracy claimed he sexually harassed her as she worked with the Spartans two years earlier.
Former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker was found responsible for violating the school’s sexual harassment policy
Brenda Tracy, a well-known rape survivor and advocate for victims’ rights, accused Tucker of sexual harassing her after she began speaking to the Spartans team in 2021Â
In a 73-page report issued in October of 2023, a university hearing officer determined the fired coach had sexually harassed and exploited Tracy when he masturbated and made sexual comments without her consent during an April 2022 phone call, according to USA Today.
The inappropriate phone call came eight months after Tracy had been hired by Tucker as a sexual violence prevention educator.
The investigation also found that Tucker made unwanted sexual advances in the months leading up to the phone call. It found that the coach continued to engage in ‘quid pro quo sexual harassment’ following the call before the subsequently ended their business partnership.
The report, via USA Today, read: ‘In sum, considering all available evidence, the Resolution Officer finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Respondent subjected Claimant to unwelcome conduct based on sex when he FaceTime video called Claimant without a shirt on; when he attempted to meet up with Claimant alone following the Spring Game; and when he non-consensually masturbated and used graphic, sexual language on a phone call with Claimant.’
Tucker was investigated by the school, placed on leave and ultimately fired by Michigan State, which terminated the remainder of his 10-year, $95 million contract when he was fired in 2023.
In his ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit, filed last year in federal court, Tucker claims he’s still owed ‘$80-plus million’ by the school.
