Mel Tucker releases Statement in Response to Tracy Allegations

Submitted by BlueinPhilly on September 11th, 2023 at 6:22 PM

https://www.si.com/college/michiganstate/football/mel-tucker-lawyer-releases-statement-calls-allegations-of-sexual-harassment-completely-false-msu-091123

Makes a brief mention of Harbaugh, which Harbaugh said he doesn't know anything about.  Lots to unpack here.  Is it a Title IX investigation or not? If it isn't, why wouldn't the AD have known about it sooner?

Communist Football

September 11th, 2023 at 9:22 PM ^

Brenda Tracy’s response

This is just more of the same DARVO [deny, attack, reverse victim, offender], deflection, victim blaming and lies that I’ve been dealing with now for months. Coach Tucker has been delaying and trying to stop the investigative process since the beginning. He can’t afford to go to a hearing that determines credibility of the participating parties. I believe this statement is his way of getting out of participating in the hearing. October 5th and 6th I will be present for the hearing and make myself available for cross examination by his attorney Jennifer Belveal. I invite him to do the same.

LSA91

September 12th, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^

I assume you mean Tuck's call and general attempt to have an affair with Kelly, not Tuck defending himself now.  (The defense now looks terrible, but it's probably his best chance to negotiate a few million from Staee to go away.)

As for the call and the texts, it's like Bill Clinton not being able to turn down affairs while President.

Dude, all you had to do was nothing, and you f-ed it up.

TruBluMich

September 11th, 2023 at 6:52 PM ^

Next your going to tell me attorneys don't lie or try to extort people. I never went to law school but I have to believe that they use the word "settlement" instead of "blackmail".  Either way there's no way that attorney is confirming or denying the details of that phone call. So unless he managed to record the call, it's going to be next to impossible to prove or disprove it.

LSA91

September 12th, 2023 at 9:49 AM ^

The big questions are (1) what does Kelly's attorney say, and (2) what does Tuck's attorney say?

They might just both say that they don't discuss settlement communications, but if Kelly's attorney says it didn't happen and Tuck's attorney won't say anything, I'm pretty confident it didn't happen. 

There are attorneys who will lie about what other attorneys said, but most are pretty careful about that since you can be disciplined for it.

Colt Burgess

September 11th, 2023 at 8:00 PM ^

Even if his side of the story is 100% true, it's absolutely a fireable offense.

Yep. He admitted to masturbating over the phone. The story has gone nationwide. The language in his contract says that he can be terminated for doing something the school deems as embarrassing. This definitely qualifies. Nothing he can say will change that, and you know they want to get out from under the ridiculous contract they gave him. 

DennisFranklinDaMan

September 11th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^

Izzo's role in this is weird, to me. There he was in the TV booth during MSU's first game talking about his absolute confidence in Tucker to move the program forward. But he must have known about this process, right? I mean, even if he thought Tucker might somehow survive this (though that seems difficult to imagine), wouldn't the smart thing — the obvious thing — have been to bite his tongue, politely decline the invitation to come up to the booth during a football game (when he knows he's going to be asked to comment on the football program), and stay silent?

It wouldn't have even been an awkward "no comment." He literally could have just not ... piped up about his absolute confidence in Tucker during a football game! Would that have been so hard?

It's bizarre. I know people on here want to equate Izzo with the devil or something, but regardless of his merits as a human being, I hadn't heard him described as an out and out idiot. This is not a good/smart look for him!

GoBlue-Pittsburgh

September 13th, 2023 at 1:31 AM ^

I would agree the man has lost his mind in his old age. I don't really remember hating him 20 years ago or whatever. But since we fired Amaker and he took it personally he has been an irrational ass, culminating in the tunnel comments. I am surprised the AD etc is happy about him going on air like that re Tucker. But hey maybe the man (Izzo) is starting to have Paterno like powers at MSU. 

AWAS

September 11th, 2023 at 8:05 PM ^

Mel is a dead man walking, regardless of the sexual harassment findings.  It should not be necessary to have the October hearing.  It is in the best interest of Mel and MSU to not have to pass formal judgment on the complaint. 

The obvious way out is a separation agreement where Mel acknowledges loss of ability to lead after his demonstrated poor judgment and resigns.  MSU encourages the quiet departure with some type of financial settlement.  The agreement stipulates no admission or finding of guilt, confidentiality of records, and waivers of future litigation. 

The sooner this ends, the better. 

YakAttack

September 11th, 2023 at 8:20 PM ^

The "it was consensual" defense will probably force a settlement in favor of Mel Tugger. He'll get 15-20 Million to go away. All parties benefit:

State gets out of a horrible contract

Mel gets paid to sit dormant for a year or two before resurfacing at Maryland or Alabama. 

I meant this in a CFB sense. The victim obviously doesn't benefit.

Double-D

September 11th, 2023 at 9:10 PM ^

Mel has signified he is not going out without a fight.

He defends his actions as personal and floats the idea MSU is using this to get out of his contract hypothetically due to Nassar, race, and gender and he claims the hearing is a sham without merit.

MSU will need to decide how quickly and how much they are willing to pay or they may have a prolonged public relations nightmare when it comes to recruiting.  

chrisu

September 12th, 2023 at 5:44 AM ^

That part of his statement, 'Nassar taint', made me feel sick to my stomach. Being an accused perpetrator of sexual harassment and bringing up Nassar...way to get all of Nassar's victims churned up as well. What a narcissistic ass. While he is innocent until proven otherwise, he is caterwauling like a guilty party. 

HChiti76

September 12th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^

I am tired of this false narrative that I read everywhere that everyione iinnocent until proven guilty. And, many times, they add, beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The presumption of innocence and the reasonable doubt standard exist solely for a criminal defendant. They have no relevancy in any other legal proceeding and certainly, not as to behavior in society in general. 

None of us are required to presume anyone is innocent and we certainly don’t need to prove someone is guilty of misdeeds beyond a reasonable doubt. Please stop using these standards in any setting outside of a criminal case.