LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A new release from the legal team of former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker says he will not be at his Title IX hearing on Thursday and Friday, due to an undisclosed medical condition.

Thursday’s release contains dozens of pages of text messages Tucker’s lawyers say are between Brenda Tracy and her close friend and assistant, Ahlan Alvarado. His lawyers also present statements they say were made by a new, unnamed witness under oath in a sworn affidavit.

Tucker’s legal team argues the contents of the text messages and the affidavit are evidence that his phone sex call to Tracy was “consensual” and she “manipulated MSU for her own financial gain.”

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker watches from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Indiana, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The 106-page heavily-redacted release begins with a statement addressed to the MSU Board of Trustees and Interim President Teresa Woodruff, which says Tucker’s legal team has evidence that “completely contradicts Ms. Tracy’s claims and suggests that she manipulated a key witness, the university, Mr. Tucker and the public.”

You can view the document in full in the PDF viewer below:

Tucker’s legal team draws four conclusions from the conversations between Tracy and Alvarado, who died in a car crash in June before Tracy’s claims against Tucker became public.

It argues:

  • Text messages about Tracy’s claimed relationship with another coach contradict what she later told an investigator
  • A witness under oath said the phone sex call made by Tucker was consensual
  • Tracy was motivated by money
  • The Office of Institutional Equity’s investigation was a “failure”

The witness mentioned in the document is not identified, but Tucker’s legal team says her statements were made under oath as part of a sworn affidavit. This witness, according to Tucker’s legal team, said Tracy and Tucker “were in some sort of relationship when the conversation took place … the phone sex was consensual.”

Supposed statements from this witness also say during Alvarado’s hospitalization shortly before her death, Tracy attempted to spend the night at her home with the intention of locating messages about Tucker on Alvarado’s electronic devices in order to delete them.

Text messages written by Brenda Tracy that were shared by Tucker’s legal team.

As for Tracy’s supposed interest in financial gain, evidence provided by Tucker’s legal team includes more text messages between her and Alvarado, discussing things like possible funding from Tucker for marketing materials for Tracy’s nonprofit and the possibility of a settlement between Tucker and Tracy.

The release concludes with an assessment by Tucker’s legal team that the OIE investigation was “misguided and incomplete,” due to its supposed lack of a complete record of text messages between Tracy and Alvarado.

Thursday’s release shares the no-holds-barred approach taken by Tucker’s legal team since its initial response to MSU suspending him over claims of sexual harassment.

Tracy wrote a statement on X, formerly Twitter, back in September that said the public remarks made by Tucker’s legal team were “deflection” and “victim blaming.”

Tucker was officially terminated by MSU for cause on Sept. 27 and Athletic Director Alan Haller announced earlier this week that the school has formally begun its search for a new fulltime football coach.

At the time of this story being published, neither MSU nor Brenda Tracy’s representatives had offered to comment on this week’s Title IX hearing. Since then an attorney for Tracy did confirm to 6 News the Title IX hearing had concluded and the administrative hearing officer on the case now has 20 days to issue findings.