Brenda Tracy files new lawsuit against Michigan State Board of Trustees for leaking info during Mel Tucker case

Michigan State Board of Trustees finds themselves on the wrong side of a lawsuit filed by Brenda Tracy, who was allegedly sexually harassed by former Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker. After reporting Tucker's alleged misconduct to MSU's Title IX office in December 2022, Tracy's name was supposed to be kept confidential, but the university failed to do so, per the lawsuit.

The 51-page lawsuit was filed on June 3 in the U.S. District Court of Grand Rapids by Tracy's East Lansing-based attorney, Karen Truszkowski, and it includes charges on seven counts.

Trustees Rema Vassar, D-Detroit and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing, were named in the lawsuit. Tracy is seeking justice for the distress caused by her name getting out in public, putting her image in harm's way, including receiving threats to herself and her family.

According to Yahoo Sports, if the lawsuit ends up on Tracy's side, MSU board will be hit with punitive damages, costs, attorneys' fees and a commitment from the university to take "effective steps to prevent sex-based discrimination and harassment, including sexual assault."

As per CNN, she's seeking $50 million in damages for personal harm and an additional $25 million on behalf of her nonprofit organization, Set The Expectation.

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Brenda Tracy thinks lawsuit will help her move on from Mel Tucker and Michigan State saga

For Brenda Tracy, it has been an emotional turmoil after her name emerged in the allegations. She reported it confidentially, but after her name was apparently leaked by someone within the university, she criticized the board for mishandling the situation and failing to uphold their commitment to supporting survivors.

As per Tracy, some board members accused her of playing the victim card, but with her current lawsuit, she seeks justice and accountability.

“It’s taken a long time to get here, and I’ve been through a lot, but at some point I want to move forward with my life,” Tracy said. “I feel like this is an important step in doing that. I want the people who harmed me to be held accountable, and that’s more than just Mel Tucker.”

Michigan State University took action after Brenda Tracy started asking questions on why her name was leaked. They hired the law firm Jones Day to determine the source of the leak. However, the investigation concluded that there was no evidence implicating any Michigan trustee, administrator or employee in Tracy's identity.

As for Mel Tucker, he's taking action of his own suing the college for wrongful termination in the wake of sexual assault allegations.