In a lawsuit that has sent shockwaves through the collegiate sports community, Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and advocate for sexual assault survivors, has taken legal action against Michigan State University's Board of Trustees. CBS News Detroit reports that Tracy is seeking accountability and justice against former MSU football coach Mel Tucker, whom she accused of sexual harassment. The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, goes into detail about interactions dating back to 2021 with Tucker allegedly pleasuring himself during a phone call without Tracy's consent.
Tracy has vehemently denied Tucker's claims of a consensual relationship. The legal action also names MSU Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno, accusing them of breaching their duty of confidentiality by allegedly leaking details about the investigation to the press, and in effect, Tracy's identity. The fallout from the case, Tracy told CBS News Detroit, has left her unemployed and her nonprofit inactive: "My reputation has been destroyed. Personal relationships have been harmed. My character has been harmed."
The lawsuit against the MSU trustees focuses particularly on their alleged involvement in disclosing her name publicly, which Tracy asserts was not supposed to happen. "I was supposed to be able to go through the RVSM process and investigation without being outed," Tracy said in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit. She explained that the negative backlash has been significant, affecting her mental health and causing her to dissolve her nonprofit, thereby destroying her life.
According to a ClickOnDetroit interview with Tracy, the lawsuit also aims to hold the institution accountable for not addressing the negative comments she received after being compelled to come forward. She said, "I hope that the judgment is such that it sends a message to other institutions that you need to be more intentional and careful with survivor stories and cases." MSU, when approached about the lawsuit, has declined to comment.
Tracy's legal confrontations come in the wake of a Title IX investigation where Tucker was found to have violated the university's sexual misconduct policy, a finding that was upheld after an appeal. Despite feeling like the underdog, Tracy remains steadfast: "I’m dealing with a lot of people in power and I’m one person, and I have an excellent attorney," she told FOX 2 Detroit. "But it feels very David and Goliath to me right now. But we know how that story turned out." Her pursuit of justice appears unyielding despite the enormity of her opposition.
