Fired MSU football coach Mel Tucker has been found responsible for violating the university's sexual harassment policies in his interactions with rape survivor and advocate Brenda Tracy, who was consulting for his team, according to Karen Truszkowski, Tracy's attorney. 

The decision found Tucker harassed and exploited Tracy during an April 2022 phone call in which, by his own admission, he made sexual comments towards her and masturbated.

Tucker has said the call was consensual while Tracy has said she did not consent to the comments and conduct. The resolution officer who decided the case found her account more credible. 

The decision, issued Wednesday afternoon, also found that he violated policies by making unwanted sexual comments in the months before the call and by ending the business relationship between Tracy and MSU after it, according to a USA Today report. 

Tucker was suspended and then fired by MSU last month after Tracy came forward with her allegations publicly.

The university has argued that what he already admitted to — engaging in a sexual relationship with a team vendor — was enough to terminate his contract. Tucker has argued that the university had no ground to fire him before the investigation concluded and has alluded to a forthcoming civil lawsuit against the university.

This decision in the MSU case does not end the process. Tucker announced he will appeal the decision on Oct. 26.

He has ten days to file his appeal, Tracy then has ten days to respond. After that, a new resolution officer will have 18 days to make a decision on the appeal, according to MSU’s policies.

An MSU spokesperson declined to confirm the USA Today report Wednesday, saying the university cannot comment on the case until the appellate process is complete.