Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor

[radicalleft]

Source: USA today

Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker accused of sexually harassing rape survivor
Brenda Tracy, a prominent rape survivor and activist, says Mel Tucker made sexual comments and masturbated without consent during a phone call. Her complaint led to an ongoing Title IX investigation.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/09/10/michigan-state-football-coach-sexual-harassment-claim/70679703007/

[Chainfire]

1. The way he will most likely be treated will be directly associated with how good a coach he is.

[radicalleft]

2. The actions of the university should NOT

Be dependent on what kind of a coach he is!

[multigraincracker]

3. I've supported MSU most of my life, but

every football coach I’ve known have bullied every one the could get away with.
I’m all for separating all sports form all schools.

[Whatthe_Firetruck]

4. Cops, clergy, & coaches. N/t

[slightlv]

5. Testosterone!

I think we'd be all a lot better off if there weren't such high levels of it. But one thing in the little OP got my attention... "masturbated without consent during a phone call"... the only times I've seen where that's consensual is where two people are having phone sex. I have my ideas what should happen to this guy... but are they actually saying he should have asked permission to masturbate? (LOL)

That said, I think harassing a rape survivor is about as low as you can go. I also believe too much emphasis is placed on sports and too little on education. But again, that goes back to testosterone. Whether you're talking the gladiators of ancient Rome or sports today, it's all the same. Who can beat up whom the worst. I do wish there was more an emphasis on collaboration instead of competition.

[oldsoftie]

6. The fact they BOTH deleted their text history is a shame.

Thats a LOT of evidence.
With no other evidence but the article, he does sound exactly like the kind of guy who would pull something like this.

[Daylily]

7. They both deleted

The fact that they both deleted their text history is concerning. It points to potential inconsistencies with their stories. It appears they both had something to hide. Sadly.

[cate94]

9. Disagree strongly with your conclusion

She deleted something painful and a trigger. He deleted something to hide.

[Green Greenie]

10. Not your average victim

In most cases I would agree but this is a rape survivor-victim who makes her living as a professional expert on the subject - to the tune of $10,000 per speech - an expert who when asked why she didn't hang up immediately when she realized what was happening said she didn't think about it. Tucker's behavior was abusive and demonstrated massive poor judgement - by the terms of his contract he will lose $80,000,000 - but there are some peculiarities going on here.

[Blue Owl]

8. Another sick fuck coach!

Seems to be more than a few of them out there….

[Novara]

11. They were beginning to grow a close relationship

So this is fraught with all sorts of complications. They were on the verge of having an extramarital affair (he's married) but I believe it hadn't gotten that far yet. However, she is the ONE person you don't want to be surreptitiously jacking off to when you're on the phone.

It's a huge he said/she said, but the university can't afford anything like this, not after turning a blind eye to Larry Nassar.

Tucker is for now suspended without pay and this sort of thing is the ONLY thing that can get the university out from under his enormous, 10-year, $95 million GUARANTEED contract. Guaranteed with one out clause - and this sort of behavior falls under that clause. I believe he will be fired because MSU can't afford not to fire him.

The interesting thing is, MSU brought back Mark Dantonio, who used to coach the team (and was rather successful). He left under a cloud because his players were involved in sexual misconduct and the university felt he lost control of the team. Again, after Nassar, they can't afford this sort of thing. For now they named secondary coach Harlon Barnett active head coach, while Dantonio will serve as associate head coach. But I think they'll see how having Dantonio back goes over. Given his history I am not sure they'd offer him the permanent position but maybe they would.

(MSU alum here)

[mn9driver]

12. He has coached his last football game at MSU.

There is a termination clause in his contract allowing MSU to fire him if he engages in …”conduct which, in the university’s reasonable judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule on the university.”

[SouthBayDem]

13. He has been suspended

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2023/09/10/michigan-state-football-mark-dantonio-trying-to-figure-out-his-role/70819413007/

[melm00se]

14. is this clause a little

weird?

"...masturbated without consent during a phone call"

Can you hear this part of a call asking peremission?

"Is it ok if I whip it out and bop my bologna while talking to you?"

[SouthBayDem]

15. Michigan State begins process of firing coach Mel Tucker

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38433108/michigan-state-begins-process-firing-coach-mel-tucker

MSU published the termination letter here: https://msu.edu/-/media/files/msu/issues-statements/supplemental-documents.pdf

[Aristus]

16. Coaches, clergy, and cops.

Still no drag queens in the police lineup.

[Novara]

17. this is not surprising

Given that MSU swept Larry Nassar under the rug and they swept this under the rug - the accusation came in December 2022 - MSU doesn't have a choice.

It also allows them to get out from under that ridiculous contract. He was not worth it. He had one really great season and a couple of horrible seasons.

I don't believe what he did to be ALL THAT egregious compared to the horror stories of other cases like Nassar, but he's a victim of MSU sweeping sexual assault accusations under the rug. Granted, what he did was wrong. And his victim is the ONE person to whom you don't do this sort of thing. Sheesh.

MSU didn't have a choice but to fire him. He has 7 days to prove the accusation false but he'll get nowhere. MSU is trying to fix its image.

They brought back Mark Dantonio in an assistant coaching role and I would not be surprised if they offered him his old coaching job back, even though he left under a cloud of sexual abuse accusations involving four of his players (not he himself). No charges were filed at the time.