Ex-Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker sues university over his firing

Former Michigan State University head football coach Mel Tucker is suing the university and school leaders, alleging that they wrongfully fired him last year and violated his constitutional rights after he was accused of sexual harassment.

The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Michigan accuses school officials of undertaking an "improper, sham investigation" of allegations that Tucker sexually harassed and exploited rape survivor and activist Brenda Tracy.

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, alleges that Michigan State officials violated his rights to due process and equal protection as well as his employment agreement with the school.

The complaint also contends that interim president Teresa Woodruff and athletic director Alan Haller made "false and defamatory" public statements against Tucker, "further destroying Plaintiff’s reputation, his professional standing, and his livelihood."

In addition, the suit contends school leaders "manipulated the process to create a pretextual and false basis to terminate Plaintiff’s employment."

"By improperly weaponizing the University’s investigative procedures against Plaintiff, the Defendants have caused, and continue to cause, Plaintiff to experience severe emotional harm and suffering, and have caused hundreds of millions in damages," the suit states.

At the time of his firing, Tucker was in the third year of a $95 million, 10-year contract. He was due to earn about $80 million remaining on the deal.

The lawsuit names as defendants the university, Woodruff, Haller, the school's eight trustees and its general counsel, Brian Quinn. University spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant said via email Thursday that "the university does not have a comment at this time" and said it had