Sources: MSU AD eyed Tucker split in preseason
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Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer
Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said he wanted to separate former coach Mel Tucker from the football team months before the 2023 season began, but the school’s administration prevented him from doing so, according to multiple sources familiar with comments Haller made about the matter to the university’s board of trustees in September.
Haller fired Tucker for cause on Sept. 27, citing in part Tucker’s admission that he had a sexual encounter with a woman hired to speak to the team. The woman, prominent sexual assault awareness speaker Brenda Tracy, claimed the coach harassed her and masturbated without her consent during a phone call. Tucker told university investigators that he and Tracy had an intimate, consensual relationship.
In an initial termination letter sent Sept. 18, Haller told Tucker his admissions that he flirted and had a sexual encounter with a school vendor were grounds for termination regardless of consent. The sources told ESPN that Haller was aware of Tucker’s admissions months before taking any disciplinary actions against him and pushed to take action sooner.
Tucker remained in charge of the Spartans’ football program for the first nine months of the school’s investigation, collecting millions of dollars in salary and opening up the school to the potential of additional legal liability if he committed any other violations of the school’s sexual misconduct policy during that time.
Haller did not respond to a request seeking comment.
Through a university spokeswoman, Michigan State interim president Teresa Woodruff declined to answer whether she or anyone else in her administration discouraged Haller from acting sooner. The spokeswoman also declined to provide clarity about when Woodruff learned about Tucker’s admission of his conduct with Tracy.
In previous public comments, Woodruff said she learned about a complaint against Tucker in December 2022, and in July learned the complaint had been filed by Tracy. The spokeswoman, Emily Guerrant, has said Woodruff and others were not aware of the full scope of the investigation until details were made public in a USA Today story on Sept. 10.
In response to specific questions about when Woodruff learned the information the school eventually used to fire Tucker, Guerrant provided a general statement that said, in part:
“Best practices in investigations call for privacy in order to not influence outcomes. Privacy is also key to creating a culture around reporting incidents — we must create a safe environment for all individuals to come forward without a fear of institutional retaliation or dissemination of information regarding highly personal matters.”
Guerrant said the university could no longer maintain privacy after detailed reports about Tracy’s claim were published in the story by USA Today on Sept. 10, and “determined then that personnel actions were warranted.”
Haller initially suspended Tucker without pay the same day that news of the ongoing investigation was made public in media reports. Haller said during a news conference announcing the suspension that “new developments” led to their decision but did not provide any specifics.
“It’s an ongoing process, and we update those interim measures as we receive information,” he said when asked what had changed to prompt the suspension.
Woodruff wrote a letter to the Michigan State community on Sept. 11 to explain Tucker’s suspension. She concluded a section of her letter about the investigative process by writing: “As there have been new developments before the hearing, including details of acknowledged behavior, Athletic Director Haller suspended Mel Tucker without pay.”
In the weeks following the Sept. 10 news conference, Guerrant, the university spokeswoman, did not answer specific and repeated questions about when Haller and Woodruff learned about Tucker’s admission. Guerrant declined to answer those questions again this week on behalf of Woodruff.
Michigan State’s past three university presidents have departed amid controversies about how the school handled sexual misconduct claims involving other high-profile school employees. Survivors of assault, subject matter experts and other advocates have criticized how the school’s leadership has handled claims in the past decade, including a pattern of lacking transparency.
During her brief comments on Sept. 10, Woodruff repeatedly referenced the “MSU of today” while defending the way the school handled the complaint against Tucker.
“This morning’s news might sound like the MSU of old. It is not,” Woodruff said. “It is not the MSU of old because we maintain the confidence of the claimant and respondent while respecting and valuing the claimant and respondent’s right to share their story. And it’s not [the MSU of old] because of the further action we take today.”
Both Tucker and Tracy have since expressed disappointment and concern with how the school has handled the case. Tucker called the school’s investigation “a sham.” A hearing officer determined in October that Tucker had violated the school’s sexual misconduct policy. His attorney has alerted Michigan State that Tucker may sue the school for wrongful termination, but he has not yet filed a lawsuit.
Tracy, through her attorney, has said she was compelled to share her story in September only because she learned someone from Michigan State had shared some details about her complaint with a reporter. The university has since hired the Jones Day law firm to investigate whether any university official leaked information about the confidential case.
While it is considered by some sexual assault awareness experts best practice to withhold information about an ongoing investigation from an employee’s manager, several experts told ESPN that many universities have mechanisms in place to take warranted personnel action without waiting for an investigation to conclude.
The Michigan State relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy posted on the university’s website does not include any specific language that dictates how or when information should be shared with an employee’s manager during a case.
Along with its search for a new football coach, the university also is in the process of searching for a new president. Woodruff has said publicly she isn’t interested in the position permanently.
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
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