Restraining order granted preventing Mel Tucker from releasing text messages
As the title states, brenda tracy was granted a restraining order to stop Tucker and his legal team from releasing anymore text of tracy’s messages with her friend/assistant.
Her taking this action supports the sworn witness testimony that brenda tracy tried to obtain her friend phone and computer in order to delete the messages while her friend was on her deathbed.
“As detailed in the new witness’ sworn statement, while Ms. Tracy’s supposed friend lay dying in a hospital, and even after death, Ms. Tracy sought to sleep over at Ms. Alvarado’s house (in her room) and repeatedly asked Ms. Alvarado’s family for access to Ms. Alvarado’s phone and computers,” the letter says.
“It really struck me as odd that she would want Ahlan’s things and would be asking Ahlan’s family for them as Ahlan lay dying in her hospital bed,” the witness said, according to Tucker’s lawyers in the letter.
“Ms. Tracy’s shocking efforts to obtain access to Ms. Alvarado’s electronic devices containing evidence against her reveals how desperately she wanted and needed to ensure their contents were never disclosed,” the letter reads.
It’s easy to pile onto Mel and it should go without saying that he is a massive idiot.
I think tracy’s actions and all of this coming forward will be a blow to victims going forward. People will seize and point to this as a reason to not believe victims. Just as Mel should be held to a higher standard, she should to. She is a sexual assault victim and advocate. It seems like she was motivated by money first rather than the mission.
People are already drawing parallel’s between this and the Trevor Bauer- Lindsey hill situation. That makes an already uphill battle even steeper for victims.
October 7th, 2023 at 12:18 AM ^
This is a messed up situation, but the entire romantic dynamic is funny. It’s pretty clear that
Mel is into Brenda and Brenda sees Mel as the atm. Brenda wants Damon. Damon wants to be left out of this mess.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:37 AM ^
Funny thing is, I don't think any of that is "clear."
October 7th, 2023 at 12:13 AM ^
Tracy was a sympathetic person given what she endured so I understand people's inclination to defend her especially juxtaposed to Tucker. There's basically nothing sympathetic about Tucker especially from a Michigan fan's perspective. It's very possible they're both shysters and that's what the evidence seems to point to. Whatever the outcome, this should never prevent victims from coming forward. The notion that the media or public has to believe, not believe or take any stance at all from the onset is the problem. Woman can lie. Men can lie. Anyone can lie. The logical thing would be to wait for it to play out and be a neutral observer. Humans are not logical though so here we are over and over.
October 7th, 2023 at 2:58 AM ^
Because he coached at MSU, there’s nothing sympathetic about him to a Michigan fan? Is a football rivalry really all that matters? Other than this, which is now looking like it might have been quite a bit different than what was first claimed, was there something other than coaching a rival that made Tucker a bad guy? Was he responsible for the tunnel incident? That would be a bit of a stretch. Because he cheated on his wife, or emotionally cheated on her? We all know that’s not unusual.
I don’t know Tucker and don’t know what the truth is here, but other than this, what if he’s more or less just a regular coach and man, with his strengths and weaknesses? Does a guy like that deserve to get destroyed by a lie? If it was a lie, I’d have some sympathy for anyone in his position.
October 7th, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
Tucker masturbated on the phone while talking with a vendor. Game over. Everything else is just noise.
October 7th, 2023 at 7:15 PM ^
Tucker is very much a regular man with strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, one of his weaknesses was "engaging in inappropriate conduct with a vendor." Regardless of where the truth lies between the two stories, that's indisputable. (Also one of his weaknesses: pass defense, but I'm not here to pile on the guy.)
October 8th, 2023 at 4:17 AM ^
"...given what SHE SAID she endured"
fixed it for you
October 7th, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
This is 100% a hit job orchestrated by MSU to get out of that ridiculous contract.
October 7th, 2023 at 12:45 AM ^
Can't really blame them for taking advantage of this situation that practically fell into their lap. From Mel's lap to their's. They're saying it's because he made sexual comments and did phone sex to a vendor and even if it was consensual it wouldn't have mattered. I doubt that though. If they were in love he wouldn't be getting fired. She spoke there once. She's a public speaker at lots of universities and institutions. It wasn't like she was an administrative person that worked there every day or someone that had an active ongoing contract or regular work there. You can't ever date someone that worked with the university in any capacity? People meet at work all the time. Everything comes down to whether it was consensual and who is telling the truth. That's why there's all this text messages shenanigans
October 7th, 2023 at 1:08 AM ^
If they were in love he wouldn't be getting fired.
If they were in love she wouldn’t have filed a complaint, which I suppose is really what you mean.
Not apples to apples but please everybody remember Mark “Lonely” Schlissel was pushed out early exactly because he was in a consensual relationship with a subordinate. IIRC, he could have survived that if they had first publicly and formally announced their relationship, or something. I think there was some avenue for it to happen, but one he didn’t take, in part because publicly and formally announcing you have a mistress would be awkward.
I would be curious if MSU could point to one example where they have done anything similar before. I’m sure Mel’s lawyers are also curious.
October 7th, 2023 at 1:14 AM ^
The wild thing about the schlissel situation is that he created the policy that he violated
October 7th, 2023 at 2:15 AM ^
I meant that if she still loved him there wouldn't have been a complaint and therefore no firing, but also if they found out via other means there would be no firing either. Hypothetically, if MSU found out they were dating and they just didn't formally announce it, but everything was consensual, you think that's a fireable offense? MSU is implying that it is by literally saying the consensual part is irrelevant. He wasn't her superior or boss like Schlissel. She's a public speaker that did a speaking event at MSU and many other schools and businesses and corporations. You think they could never date as long as he's the coach or would they just have to wait a certain amount of time? If she didn't speak at MSU for 2 years would MSU be able to fire then? How much does MSU police that? Most likely they don't and it's only a violation if one person files a complaint like you mentioned. Either way, by definition and logic, that means it truly does come down to whether or not she's telling the truth and if they were in a consenting relationship (since we've established a romantic relationship would have meant no complaint in the first place), but MSU said that part was irrelevant. It's actually not because if it was consensual it means they fired him for cause when they had no cause. That's why his lawyers were going after the texts and why she's worked so hard to block it. At least that's my theory on what Mels lawyers are looking at to maximize the settlement and clear his name.
October 7th, 2023 at 6:22 AM ^
if they found out via other means there would be no firing either.
Probably.
If he were winning games, they might have disciplined him in some other way even if it was some behind the scenes reprimand, but even in a consensual relationship he put MSU at risk. One of my partners slept with an employee. It was consensual, this was not in dispute. It cost a lot of people a lot of money--me included.
October 7th, 2023 at 9:31 AM ^
I wasn’t really disagreeing with you other than to say that while you don’t view it as a fireable offense (if consensual) we don’t actually know what MSU’s policies or precedents are. So you might be right but you might be wrong.
I don’t think it’s as clear cut on her not being a subordinate as you do but honestly without knowing MSU’s documented rules on it it’s not worth debating. It just becomes a matter of our own beliefs.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:43 AM ^
I'm not sure. Let's not forget he was (and is) married. Whether consensual or not, this definitely brings ridicule to the school, and will be brought up again and again, ad infinitum, for as long as he coaches at the school, including by opposing coaches recruiting against him.
To suggest that consent is the only possible justification for MSU's hiring presupposes a legal ruling, and I'm not sure we know one way or another at this point.
I mean, a consensual sexual encounter led to Bill Clinton's impeachment, and is still a reliable source of mockery, no? Meaning, only, there can certainly be consequences to reputation and standing, and MSU may well believe that a coach that brings ridicule to the school in this fashion is a liability.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
Wasn't Schlissel also funding his affair with taxpayer dough.
October 7th, 2023 at 1:27 AM ^
Hey Ms. Tracy if we have you x amount of dollars would you be willing to throw Mel under the bus And say he did all this weird shit?
October 7th, 2023 at 3:48 AM ^
I let it go the first time, but that is some rcmb level drivel. As much as I can’t stand MSU, to suggest this was all fabricated by the followers and worst is too much. Mel admitted to (consensually) doing all this weird shit.
October 7th, 2023 at 4:19 AM ^
It's too much?
What the fuck does that even mean?
Are you going to die if you here things like that.
People are idiots. Myself included
October 7th, 2023 at 1:12 AM ^
Dbl post
October 7th, 2023 at 1:15 AM ^
It’s easy to pile on to msu because of the rivaling with everything else, but I think msu was in a tough spot and they did what they had to. Their hands were tied once the story broke. Even Gov. Whitmer made a statement about it. It’s a toxic situation and there’s no indication that they did anything nefarious, yet.
October 7th, 2023 at 12:39 AM ^
If anything, this case has really just illustrated how people love to scramble to tell on themselves. Those people really don't need this case to all of the sudden stop believing victims. They largely never believe victims in the first place.
October 7th, 2023 at 1:46 AM ^
I tend to neither believe nor disbelieve. I think believing gets conflating with caring. I reckon you would label me in the non believing or victim blamer group. But . . .why is believing or not believing required at all or a prerequisite for showing care. If someone told me they were a victim of sexual violence I would show them empathy and compassion. Who am I to deny what they say about their personal experience in that moment? Ultimately, they could be lying or telling the truth or anything in between. As could the accused. That shouldn't prevent me or anyone from erring on the side of treating people well and being a decent person. That doesn't mean I need to immediately validate everything they say either. Why can't we just be supportive of people who come forward, make room for healthy and respectful skepticism as facts come out as to not pre-destroy the accused's reputation, and then be very critical of the few who lie. It's like humans are desperate for dichotomy.
October 8th, 2023 at 3:19 AM ^
Man do you love to run your mouth with some bullshit in here. Always these long bloviating posts with nothing to say at all. You aren’t intelligent your takes always lol down to some kid level libertarian bullshit. Goddamn you are the definition of mediocre.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
You are right that some never believed the victims in the first place. And I hardly think that even after Duke Lacrosse and The University of Virginia Rolling Stone article (not to compare them to this or suggest that is what is happening here) victims won't be believed. It is a huge mistake to use an individual case as some basis for all or some other unrelated cases.
October 7th, 2023 at 6:39 AM ^
She set Tuck's dumb ass up. Shocker
October 7th, 2023 at 6:53 AM ^
I bit my tongue listening to people here saying what a victim she was with Mel etc being traumatized because I knew the outrage from people who lose reason to emotion. Twice now two different groups are being prosecuted and ruined and yet she is the common element here... twice isn't a coincidence, this might be an evil honey trap.
October 7th, 2023 at 9:03 AM ^
So wait, you're saying the Oregon State situation, in which the 4 players involved all implicated each other, didn't really happen? Hell, they even said Tracy said "No" multiple times before and after the assault and yet they kept going. I mean, feel free to keep biting your tongue if that's your take.
October 7th, 2023 at 3:51 PM ^
No. I don't know the details of the other case. But her behavior surely contributed to Mel case.
October 7th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
So you claimed that since this happened twice she must be the cause, without having any understadning of the past case/limited understanding of the current case?
Maybe you should consider the following data from the CDC as a possible explanation instead of victim blaming.
The data shows: Sexual violence is common. Over half of women and almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. One in 4 women and about 1 in 26 men have experienced completed or attempted rape.
October 8th, 2023 at 4:29 AM ^
That's what I'm saying. And that's what each of them to a person said - that nothing happened that was not consensual. That she lied about the details of what did happen. There was no trial, only allegations. This time there will be a trial.
October 7th, 2023 at 8:10 AM ^
Why must the actions of one be a blow to any other potential victims.
October 7th, 2023 at 8:20 AM ^
To this whole "victims won't be believed" thing -- some people already don't believe victims as a matter of course. I've seen it in every thread on Mel Tucker so far. Some people think victims have to look a certain way and exhibit a certain behavior or demeanor. If they don't, there's something shady going on. If a woman smiles, there's obviously something romantic or sexual going on. If she laughs or tells him something in confidence, she's just as much to blame. Her behavior is under a microscope (the behavior preceding the masturbation) because some people are looking for something, anything to blame her. The majority on this board aren't like that, but there have been a few who are just dead set on her being a manipulative gold digger. Also, whatever Mel's lawyer puts out there is meant to help Mel, not to uncover the truth. Same for Tracy's lawyer. I wouldn't take any of it as absolute fact. And looking bad is not the same as being bad.
October 7th, 2023 at 8:42 AM ^
Do these referenced texts reflect a consensual relationship?
My wish is for the correct thing(s) to happen - each person being accountable and fully truthful.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
No, they're pretty clear that there was no "relationship" in the sense you mean. She's relieved that Tucker backed off and "things didn't get weird."
--
Maybe this "relationship" business is worth teasing out though. It was a revelation for me when I entered the work world and discovered that there was a whole cultural realm out there where "talking to someone" was a synonym for dating. I thought it was a figure of speech, then I realized that some people really meant it: you didn't talk seriously with someone of the opposite sex unless you were interested in them. If you were already involved with someone you didn't do it at all, it was tantamount to cheating.
Completely alien world, to me. I talk to women all the time; most of my close friends are female.
Now, looking back at it, I suppose it really comes down to a different definition of "relationship." Drawing the line in a different place.
And I'm left with the sense maybe Tucker and Tracy had a culture clash like this. To him, she's already invited him across the line with the serious late-evening phone calls. On her side, she's relieved when he finally seems to get it and he isn't going to cross the line...until one night he comes crashing across it in the worst possible way.
October 7th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
I will repeat an earlier statement that people are taking everything Tucker and his attorneys say at face value while evidence from others that he is lying or doing something possibly illegal is sort of hand-waived away.
This judge looked at all available evidence and came to the conclusion that this trove of text messages and a witness who sure sounds like he/she has an ax to grind with Tracy have enough credibility issues around them so as to not immediately release them to the public. Perhaps there is some damning evidence in them, though I'd argue the fact Tucker also deleted a ton of his texts to Tracy and apparently hasn't been particularly forthcoming isn't a great sign either for him.
It may well turn out that Tracy is some conniving jersey chaser who deserves all the scorn some people desperately want to drop on her. But the fact remains that Tucker engaged in a sexual relationship with a vendor of his employer, didn't disclose it to anyone, and sure seemed to punish her after she rejected his advancements. That gets you fired 10/10 times at a school and so all of this extracurricular stuff is basically just between MSU and Tucker arguing over a bunch of money he lucked into because Kenneth Walker played like a Heisman winner and covered for his incompetent coaching.
October 7th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
Credibility isn’t the issue, it’s about the sensitivity of material and how it was obtained. The texts are legitimate. This is a temporary order.
It was an ex parte order or an emergency order where Tucker’s team did not have a chance to make their argument. The formal hearing will occur on the 17th.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:18 AM ^
The texts are heavily redacted which means we do not have access to all of the available information.
Furthermore, her deceased assistant had provided evidence in support of Brenda’s case prior to her death. Now her texts are posthumously being used to support his case. Her husband most likely is the one who gave Tucker’s lawyers the phone. The question is why? If he believed the case to be fraudulent why did he not say anything to the investigator before his wife’s death? His actions have led to people thinking his deceased wife was was part of a scheme to extort money. How are her children going to take seeing that being publicly broadcasted?
Then there is how access to the phone was acquired. If it can be shown that it was acquired illegally Tucker’s lawyers are in hot water.
An ugly, bizarre, and sad case of moral and ethical squalor.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
It's hard to restrain the unrestrainable Mel. It is plain that he is a dumb Tuck.
October 7th, 2023 at 10:26 AM ^
"It seems she was motivated by money first rather than the mission"
Because she hoped to receive tickets from Tucker to a bowl? Because she knew about his salary and fantasized about being rich? Because, after the cancellation of her appearance, she wanted the equivalent of her fee and a donation to her organization?
None of that proves or even points to what you're saying. Her mission didn't require a vow of poverty. She's allowed to want to go to a big football game and dream about being wealthy. Those behaviors just mean she's an American.
October 7th, 2023 at 12:19 PM ^
On Dec. 9, 2022, Tracy texted Alvarado, “I’m filing a formal complaint with MSU. ... Karen said after that we can let him know that we want to come to an agreement, then it doesn’t have to go to a hearing or anything unless he wants it to.”
The letter claims one week before Tracy filed her complaint against Tucker, she admitted to being “down to $5.” She also talked about realizing she was supposed to be paying down 2018 taxes, Tucker’s lawyers said.
“So apparently I was supposed to be paying down 2018 taxes and not staying caught up on the other years because now the IRS wants their money,” Tracy wrote at 7:58 p.m. Dec. 19, 2022. “I have to come up with $25K over the next six weeks.”
Could be out of context. Who knows. On certain levels, almost everything is motivated by money in some way.
October 7th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
None of that supports the statement that she cared more about money than the mission. Also, people settle prior to filing suit all the time. That doesn't say anything about whether they were harmed. People who are harmed get, to some extent, to choose how they want to resolve the situation. They don't have to match someone's ideal of the saintly victim.
October 7th, 2023 at 3:57 PM ^
None of that supports the statement that she cared more about money than the mission
There were her texts messages where she said the he would finance her documentary, but she wanted them to start filming after her face lift and body work.
There were the texts where she said that she wanted Tucker and State to make anonymous donations to her and that she would call it a donation to her non-profit if it leaked.
Hopefully she invests in a serious accountant after all of this because the IRS is enjoying this
October 7th, 2023 at 5:19 PM ^
October 7th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
I see the MAGA / Clay Travis loving morons are out in force today.
October 7th, 2023 at 4:01 PM ^
So everyone who doesn’t think that Tracy is being completely honest is a misogynist?
Does that make those who call out Tucker racist?
October 7th, 2023 at 10:49 AM ^
This is why I'm not commenting on mel or her. I don't know why people have not learned from the Duke case to hold judgement till everything comes out
October 7th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
I think that calling this individual a victim is where we go wrong. What really happened to her? He jerked off on the phone. Fucking hang up!! In public discourse we are taught to believe women in all cases, and to see somebody in this position as being the victim. In this case (and in many others, including multiple situations I have seen in my own career) the woman lodging the complaints does not have clean hands herself, and a cynic could think that they are taking advantage to the automatic benefit of the doubt they receive.
The Tucker case seemed fishy from the start. I think he gets a nice amount of money on the way out the door. And if I were his lawyer I'd go after her too. Mel's never going to coach again. He has nothing to lose