Judge dismisses Brenda Tracy lawsuit against former Michigan State coach Mel Tucker

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by sexual abuse survivor advocate Brenda Tracy against former Michigan State coach Mel Tucker, according to the Lansing State Journal. The decision came down Wednesday in Ingham County.

Judge Wanda Stokes dismissed the lawsuit after finding the claims were either barred by statutes of limitation or a lack of actual issue for a jury to consider, per the Lansing State Journal. Tracy’s suit, filed in October 2024, centered around allegations that Tucker made false statements to intentionally attempt to ruin her reputation and public image.

The suit was filed more than a year after Michigan State fired Tucker for cause following a university investigation. The inquiry found Tucker sexually harassed Tracy during a phone call in April 2022, though the former Michigan State coach has said he and Tracy had a consensual relationship.

“Unfortunately, Mel Tucker’s stay at Michigan State University will be long remembered not for his two victories against (the University of) Michigan but for, you know, this occasion,” said Andrew Abood, one of Tucker’s attorneys, via the Lansing State Journal. “But he can put this behind him.”

The lawsuit dismissed Wednesday is not related to the 2023 lawsuit between Tracy and Tucker, which was dismissed in May 2024. All told, there are four suits involving the two. Tucker filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Michigan State in August 2024 for his remaining salary, and Tracy’s suit against the university’s board of trustees – filed in June 2025 – are both ongoing.

In a 73-page report at the time of the 2023 investigation, a hearing officer from the university found Tucker exploited and sexually harassed Tracy during an April 2022 phone call. During the call, which took place eight months after Tucker brought Tracy in as a guest speaker, he allegedly made sexual comments and masturbated without her consent. In addition, the report found Tucker made “unwanted sexual advances” toward Tracy months before the call, according to USA Today.

Tucker took over at Michigan State in 2022 after one year at Colorado. After a 2-5 record in his debut season, which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spartans completed a strong turnaround to go 11-2 in 2021. However, they struggled to a 5-7 mark in 2022 and went 4-8 in 2023 – including 2-0 under Tucker before his suspension and subsequent firing.

But the wins in 2022 and 2023, as well as in 2024 under first-year coach Jonathan Smith, have since been vacated by the NCAA. An investigation found the football program in violation of providing more than $10,000 in impermissible recruiting inducements between October 2021 and March 2023 under Tucker. In addition to the vacated wins, Tucker also received a three-year show cause.