A string of textual content messages between present and former Michigan State University trustees present musings on find out how to smear the sufferer, lingering questions about how the varsity dealt with the sexual harassment allegations towards Mel Tucker, hypothesis about revenge, and a suggestion that the MSU Board of Trustees use the scandal as an opportunity to fireplace interim faculty president Teresa Woodruff and MSU authorized counsel Brian Quinn.
Mel Tucker is accused of sexual harassment
On the night of Sept. 9, 2023, USA Today printed an article revealing the allegations towards Tucker and the identify of his accuser, anti-sexual assault advocate and educator Brenda Tracy. Per USA Today’s Kenny Jacoby:
“Tucker is accused of making unwanted sexual comments and masturbating during an April 2022 phone call with Brenda Tracy, a prominent rape survivor and activist he had hired to educate his team about sexual violence prevention. Tucker denied the allegations, saying he and Tracy had consensual “phone sex.”
Now, through a request beneath the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, Deadspin has obtained textual content messages between MSU trustee Dr. Rema Vassar and former trustee Pat O’Keefe, whereby O’Keefe does many of the texting, providing his recommendation on how the varsity ought to deal with the allegations and speculating on Tracy’s motivations.
“The University has known about this since December…why didn’t they come out ahead of the press on this?” O’Keefe texts, persevering with, “Why wasn’t (Tucker) in March put on suspended leave until investigation completed?”
O’Keefe then goes on to ask Vassar if Brian Quinn, vice president of Legal Affairs and general counsel at Michigan State had something to do with the varsity permitting the media to interrupt the story. “Is Brian Quinn the reason they didn’t come out in front of the media on this? If so, maybe he’ll get canned, too. — questions I’m getting. BTW…how did (Woodruff) not suspend him, before the season, let alone last spring?”
O’Keefe, who stepped down as an MSU trustee in November of 2022, partially over problems with transparency in Title IX investigations, then advises Vassar, “Since Title 9 (sic) reported directly to president, you probably have grounds to fire (Teresa Woodruff). Cover up. Someone can argue due process, but this stuff gets out and the University again looks weak since somebody else is spilling the beans.”
Deadspin reached out to Vassar, O’Keefe, and Quinn for remark, however neither had returned our messages on the time of publication. Brenda Tracy declined remark.
“She is lobbing a Hail Mary bomb maybe to get back to her rapers”
From there, the texts take a darker flip, with O’Keefe, whose LinkedIn bio describes him as an skilled in “the fields of strategic advisory services,” going on to counsel how the Board ought to deal with the Tucker allegations and Tracy:
“I guess in thinking about this I would offer these thoughts. 1. The claimant (Tracy) is an experienced reporter knows the process, actually teaches within it. 2. She has chose (sic) to ignore the due process required for these matters by spilling confidential matter to the media. 3. She does this because either she isn’t going to participate in the October hearings so she is lobbing a Hail Mary bomb maybe to get back to her rapers (sic) previously or she doesn’t trust the Title 9 process and wants to extract her own revenge (on who i am not saying I don’t know).”
Tracy’s legal professional, Karen Truszkowski, stated final month that Tracy’s identify was leaked by “an outside source,” which brought on her to talk to USA Today about the allegations towards Tucker. The University is at the moment investigating the place the leak originated. Further, Tracy did participate within the Title IX listening to on her claims towards Tucker. Tucker didn’t attend the listening to as a consequence of what his attorneys known as a “serious medical condition.”
O’Keefe continues his texts to Vassar, saying of Tracy, “Her actions are unprofessional and so out of bounds it is hard to figure why she would commit such career suicide. I have been around people who have been hurt and want to hurt someone just to feel good about themselves. She had plenty of outs if she didn’t want to be a victim. First, like hanging up the phone, battery went dead, got something else I need to attend to but she didn’t. I am suspect on motivation, but I am betting she doesn’t show up or is trying to influence the process. Bad situation all the way around. I am not on the board and my phone is blowing up. Can’t imagine what it is like for you. Praying for your wisdom, guidance, and ability to maintain a clear and unbiased vision. Somebody needs to.”
The texts obtained by Deadspin finish with Vassar telling O’Keefe, “I need to talk to you” on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, at 8:34 pm. O’Keefe then responds “Call me. I think you have ground to fire TW (Woodruff). The Title 9 office reports solely to her and she doesn’t know the details of the Tucker investigation. Not believable.”
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