Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker has been suspended without pay amid his fourth season with the program after sexual misconduct allegations levied against him came to light, the university announced on Sunday.
“I have suspended Mel Tucker without pay as an additional interim measure while the investigation continues,” MSU Vice President and Athletic Director Alan Haller said in an impromptu news conference Sunday afternoon. “I made this decision with the support of university leadership.”
Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and prominent activist, accused Tucker of making sexual comments toward her and masturbating without her consent during a phone call in April 2022 while she was doing advocacy work with the Spartans, a USA TODAY investigation revealed Sunday. Tucker acknowledged masturbating on a call with Tracy, but claimed it was consensual “phone sex.”