Mel Tucker Prevented From Releasing Brenda Tracy's Private Texts by Restraining Order

Former Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker and his associates will not be allowed to release more private text messages from Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and activist who has accused the 51-year-old of sexual harassment.

Per Kenny Jacoby of USA Today, Tracy was granted an emergency restraining order from Judge James S. Jamo in Michigan's Ingham County Circuit Court. Jamo ruled that Tracy showed need to prevent Tucker from "disclosing sensitive, confidential matters that could cause irreparable harm," per Jacoby.

"The actions of Mel Tucker and his legal team have put me in a position where I must protect the lives and the confidential information of third parties that have nothing to do with this case," Tracy said in an emailed statement.

The judge's order also stated that it appeared the information gathered from Tucker's team was obtained illegally: "protected, personal, private, and sensitive business information related to sexual assault survivors and employees...was gathered in violation of Michigan law."

Among other accusations, Tracy said that Tucker made unwanted sexual comments toward her in an April 2022 call and that he also masturbated during that same conversation.

Tucker claims the two were involved in a "consensual and intimate" relationship. Tracy denies that she had anything more than a business relationship with Tucker, who asked her to speak to his team about sexual violence.

Tracy filed a report with MSU's Title IX office in December 2022. Tucker has since been fired for cause "for his admitted and undisputed behaviors which have brought public disrespect, contempt and ridicule upon the university; and constitute a material breach of his agreement, and moral turpitude," per the university.

Tucker and his attorney did not show up to a scheduled hearing regarding the investigation this week, per Jacoby. Instead, his team sent out a blast to reporters purporting "newly discovered evidence" suggesting that Tracy lied to a Title IX investigator.

Per Jacoby:

"Tucker and his attorney, Jennifer Belveal, said in the letter that "approximately 20,000 new communications or documents" involving Tracy "completely contradict" her claims. The letter includes 98 heavily redacted pages of text messages between Tracy and her deceased best friend and booking assistant, Ahlan Alvarado, from September 2021 through May 2023, which appear to have been extracted from Alvarado's cellphone.

"Tucker and Belveal say the texts show Tracy had been in a romantic relationship with a basketball coach and that she had been struggling financially around the time she filed her complaint against Tucker with the university in December. They also show she and her attorney discussed settling with Tucker before she reported him – which they say 'decimate' her assertion that money did not motivate her to come forward."

Tracy responded to the matter.

"I showed up to the hearing today," Tracy said. "Tucker didn't but instead intentionally put out more lies and mischaracterizations in what I can only assume is an attempt to interrupt the hearing. As I give this comment, I am due back in the hearing."

Tucker became MSU's head coach prior to the 2020 season. He signed a 10-year, $95 million contract extension with the team during the 2021 campaign. Nearly $80 million is left on that deal, but he has since signaled his intent to sue the university in a wrongful termination lawsuit.