Ex-Michigan State coach Mel Tucker faces Wednesday court deadline in fight over text messages

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The legal fight over whether former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker can release more private text messages connected to the woman who has accused him of sexual harassment has moved, at least temporarily, to federal court.

A hearing had been scheduled for Tuesday in Ingham County Circuit Court, but was canceled after Tucker's attorneys on Monday had the matter moved to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

On Tuesday afternoon, attorneys for Brenda Tracy, a prominent national advocate for sexual assault victims who filed the sexual harassment complaint against Tucker in December, sought to move the case back to state court. In doing so, they amended their initial filing to remove the one aspect that dealt with federal law. They also asked a federal judge to expedite the decision.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jonker set a 4 p.m. deadline on Wednesday for Tucker's attorneys to respond.

On Oct. 5, the day of a key hearing in the sexual harassment case, Tucker's legal team released pages of text messages between Tracy and her friend Ahlan Alvarado, who has since died. His attorneys say the messages show Tracy had a personal relationship with Tucker that was consensual.

Tracy then sought a court order preventing Tucker's team from releasing additional messages, arguing that further releases would include sensitive, confidential matters that could cause irreparable harm.

Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo granted a temporary order barring any additional releases and a hearing was set for Tuesday. That hearing, which was canceled in the morning, would have determined if that restraining order stayed in place.

The legal fight over text messages comes about a month after USA Today published a story detailing the long-running sexual harassment investigation of Tucker. The university suspended him without pay the same day and on Sept. 27 fired him for cause.

Tucker — who denies any wrongdoing and said he and Tracy had a consensual, intimate relationship — has taken steps to file a lawsuit over his termination. His contract, signed in 2021, had about $80 million in guaranteed money when he was fired.

Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at mjmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @MattMencarini.