EAST LANSING -- Brenda Tracy, the woman Michigan State University determined was sexually harassed by former head football coach Mel Tucker, publicly criticized the school's trustees for how they handled her complaint and the fallout from it.
"I'm not going to mince words with you," she told trustees during a public meeting Friday. "I came here to tell you some of the ways that you have harmed me."
Tracy, a prominent national advocate for abuse survivors who was hired to speak to MSU football players, reiterated that she never wanted to go public with her complaint against Tucker. She also refuted allegations made by then-board chair Rema Vassar that she and her attorney Karen Truszkowski colluded with trustees before a September 2023 USAToday story broke detailing how Tucker sexually harassed her.
Tracy said she realized early on in the process of filing a complaint with the school that she would need to protect herself.
"I turned to MSU for help, and in return, I was victim blamed, shamed, accused of collusion, and used as a pawn for personal agendas," she said. "You say you're a board that supports survivors. That was not my experience with you, but I absolutely believe that it should have been."
Board Chair Dan Kelly and President Kevin Guskiewicz declined to comment after the meeting on what Tracy said due to "pending litigation," but Guskiewicz called her statement "emotional." Tracy has not filed a lawsuit against MSU.
Tracy's December 2022 complaint against Tucker for sexual harassment led to an eight-month Title IX investigation, during which Tucker continued to coach the school's football team. The case spilled into public view in September 2023, shortly after Tucker led MSU to its second win of the season, when USA Today published its story.
Tucker was suspended and fired following the story.
This month, Tracy filed a lawsuit in the Ingham County Circuit Court against Tucker for defamation.
Tracy says in the lawsuit that she lost future earnings and suffered psychologically and emotionally because of Tucker's false statements, including his claims that she made up the allegations in a plot to extort him and the school for money. The lawsuit accuses him of breach of contract, stealing her business records and fraudulently accessing her email and personal accounts.
In March, Tracy filed notice of intent with the Michigan Court of Claims. The notice, filed on behalf of Tracy and her nonprofit, is a mandatory precursor to filing a lawsuit against a government agency, in this case MSU, its trustees and Tucker.
No lawsuit has been filed with the Court of Claims since, online court filings show. Truszkowski and Tracy told the State Journal Friday they filed the notice of intent in March so they were within the 180-day limit and would have the opportunity to file litigation in the future.
Tucker filed a lawsuit against the university on July 31. This week, attorneys for Michigan State University asked a federal judge to dismiss former football coach Mel Tucker's lawsuit against the school.
An investigation paid for by the university found that no MSU official or employee leaked Tracy's name to the press but that someone associated with MSU leaked a draft statement from Truszkowski. Truszkowski shared a draft of her statement with MSU General Counsel Brian Quinn on Sept. 11, 2023, but later modified that statement before releasing it to the media.
The law firm's statement said: "Quinn shared the earlier draft statement with just 12 people -- the eight Trustees, the Board Secretary, and three individuals in MSU's Administration (interim President Theresa (sic) Woodruff, her Chief of Staff Michael Zeig, and MSU Spokesperson Emily Guerrant). Quinn's email was marked 'Attorney-Client Privilege' with instructions to 'Please Do Not Re-Circulate.'
"It appears more likely than not that one of the 12 recipients of Quinn's email provided it to Alex Walters, a reporter at the student-run State News publication. Based on witness interviews and the circumstances surrounding the reporting from the State News, it appears unlikely that Truszkowski or Tracy leaked the prior draft statement. We thus find it more likely than not that this unauthorized disclosure originated from within MSU."
USA Today reporter Kenny Jacoby contributed to this article.
Contact Sarah Atwood at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.