Service is one of the first steps in a lawsuit, ensuring that a person knows they are being sued. A case cannot proceed until a person has accepted service by signing a summons to appear in court.

Court filings say Tracy’s lawyer had previously attempted to reach Tucker with certified letters to nine previously known addresses and the East Lansing home he apparently still owns, but the letters were all returned as undeliverable with no forwarding address.

The order, signed March 17 by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Wanda Stokes, ordered service of the suit via mail to Tucker’s last known address, tacking the suit to the door of his last known address and posting the suit in a local newspaper, if possible. If Tucker does not respond to these alternate services, a default judgment in Tracy’s favor will be ruled, according to the order.

A voicemail left on Tucker’s last known cellphone was not returned.

Tracy’s lawsuit accuses Tucker of defaming her by asserting that they had a consensual relationship, despite a university investigation finding that he sexually harassed her. The lawsuit also accuses Tucker of interfering with Tracy’s business as a speaker and advocate against campus sexual violence. 

Tucker has publicly acknowledged that he is aware of the lawsuit, mentioning it and attaching a copy of the complaint to his federal lawsuit against MSU, which disputes his termination.

MSU denied Tucker's request for indemnification, a university spokesperson said.