Michigan State suspends Mel Tucker amid harassment case - ESPN
ESPN Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker is suspended without pay while the university completes an investigation into claims that he sexually harassed a prominent sexual assault awareness speaker after she was hired to speak with the Spartan team.
Athletic director Alan Haller announced Tucker's interim suspension Sunday night, less than 24 hours after news of the claims against the fourth-year head coach were made public in reports from ESPN and USA Today. Interim university president Teresa Woodruff appeared alongside Haller at a news conference and said she fully supported Haller's decision.
"The university's objective has been and remains focused on conducting a fair, thorough and unbiased investigation and allowing the processes to play out," Haller said.
Brenda Tracy, who operates a non-profit company that tries to raise awareness about sexual misconduct especially among college athletes, told university investigators that Tucker sent her gifts, asked if she would date him if he wasn't married and masturbated while on the phone with her without her consent, according to details reported by USA Today Sunday. Tucker told investigators he did take part in the behavior, but that it was consensual.
