COACH MEL TUCKER IS SUSPENDED AFTER SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM BECAME
PUBLIC BACK. THANKS FOR JOINING
US TODAY. I’M KIM DEGUILIO.
>> AND I’M RHONDA WALKER. THOSE
ALLEGATIONS ARE THE ONGOING
INVESTIGATION WERE DETAILED IN
A USA TODAY REPORT, AND WE’RE
STILL WORKING TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCE
SURROUNDING THIS SUSPENSION. SO
LET’S GET OUT TO SHAWN LEY.
HE’S BEEN DOING SOME DIGGING
WITH US AND LET US KNOW WHAT
YOU FOUND OUT TODAY.
>> JULIE, LET’S DIG RIGHT IN.
VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE HERE.
LET’S GET EVERYONE UP TO SPEED
. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MSU HEAD
FOOTBALL COACH MEL TUCKER, ONE
OF THE HIGHEST PAID COACHES IN
ALL OF FOOTBALL OR SPORTS WHEN
IT COMES TO COLLEGES. COACH THE
GAME RIGHT HERE AT SPARTAN
STADIUM ON SATURDAY, A WIN
AGAINST RICHMOND AND THEN A
BOMBSHELL REPORT THE NEXT
MORNING. YESTERDAY MORNING,
SUNDAY OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
AGAINST THE COACH THAT
ESSENTIALLY FORCED MSU TO ACT
YESTERDAY. SO HERE’S THE
TIMELINE THAT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT HERE. WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT GOING BACK TO APRIL 28TH
OF 2022. BRENDA OF TRACY, SHE
IS A PROMINENT VOICE AGAINST
SEXUAL HARASSMENT, SEXUAL
ASSAULT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
SHE IS A RAPE SURVIVOR WHO
WORKED WITH COACH TUCKER AND
SPEAKING TO THE YOUNG MEN ON
MSU’S TEAM AND ON CAMPUS ABOUT
HOW TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH
WOMEN, HOW TO LOOK FOR AND
REPORT ANY HARASSMENT AGAINST
WOMEN, KEEPING CLASSMATES,
WOMEN SAFE. ESSENTIALLY. APRIL
OF 2022, SAME TIME HERE. TRACY
HERSELF SAYS COACH TUCKER, WHO
SHE WORKED WITH, SPOKE TO HER
ON THE PHONE IN SEXUALLY
GRAPHIC WAYS. CLEARLY AND
LOUDLY, SHE SAYS, PERFORMING A
SEX ACT. IT WAS OBVIOUS. TUCKER
CALLED IT CONSENSUAL PHONE SEX
, BASICALLY ADMITTING TO THE
SITUATION HERE. TRACY TOLD
INVESTIGATORS SHE ABSOLUTELY
FROZE IN THAT MOMENT ON THE
PHONE AS A SURVIVOR HERSELF OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT. SHE MADE WHAT
IS CALLED A TITLE NINE
COMPLAINT WITH MSU IN DECEMBER
OF THIS YEAR, DECEMBER. WE’RE
GOING BACK HERE. THAT LED
INVESTIGATORS TO LAUNCH AN
INVESTIGATION THAT WAS COMPLETE
IN JULY. SO A COUPLE OF MONTHS
BEFORE THE FOOTBALL SEASON,
EVEN MSU STILL ALLOWING COACH
TUCKER TO COACH THE SPARTANS
HEADING TOWARDS AN OCTOBER
HEARING WHERE BOTH SIDES WOULD
BE HEARD HERE. THEN MSU
SUSPENDED TUCKER WITHOUT PAY
YESTERDAY AFTER DETAILS OF THE
ALLEGATIONS WERE MADE PUBLIC BY
USA TODAY. SO LET’S TALK TO
MATT FRIEDMAN. HE’S CO-FOUNDER
OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
FIRM TANNER FRIEDMAN. HE SAYS
ONE OF THE MASSIVE ISSUES HERE
THAT’S STANDING OUT, COULD MSU
HAVE ACTED LONG BEFORE SUNDAY
WHEN IT APPEARS IT’S NOW
REACTING TO A REPORT IN THE
MEDIA? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
THEY DID NOT DO VERY CLEARLY IS
TRY TO GET IN FRONT OF THE
INEVITABLE. WHY NOT BIG, BIG
STORIES LEAK. THEY JUST DO. AND
BIG INSTITUTIONS NEED TO
PREPARE FOR THESE ALMOST
INEVITABLE LEAKS. AND IT LOOKS
LIKE THEY DIDN’T PREPARE FOR
THAT. SO WHEN THE LEAK
HAPPENED, THEY WERE CAUGHT OFF
GUARD AND HAD TO SCRAMBLE ALL
ON A SUNDAY BACK HERE LIVE,
SCRAMBLING ON A SUNDAY,
SUSPENDING THE COACH, BUT ALSO
ANSWERING VERY FEW QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHEN THEY KNEW OF THIS
REALLY ROUGH ALLEGATION HERE
AGAINST THE COACH WITH A WOMAN
SO PROMINENT AS TRACY. AND WHY
DIDN’T THEY ACT SOONER HERE?
WE’RE BEING TOLD THAT THE
INVESTIGATION WAS GOING ON.
SOME IN MSU SAY IT’S STILL
ONGOING AND NOT MANY KNEW
EXACTLY THE DETAILS HERE.
RHONDA AND KIM, UNTIL THE USA
TODAY REPORT CAME OUT, WE HAVE
A LOT OF QUESTIONS, OBVIOUSLY,
HERE. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE
TO ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE ON
CAMPUS AS INTERIM COACH FOR
FOOTBALL GOING FORWARD HAS BEEN
NAMED. BACK TO YOU.
>> ABSOLUTELY. STILL A LOT OF
QUESTIONS. THANKS FOR THAT
REPORT, SEAN. AND STAY WITH US
ON CLICKONDETROIT.COM FOR AS
THIS STORY CONTINUES TO DEVELOP
, THE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
WHO BROKE THE STORY IS GIVING
US SOME CONTEXT ON HIS
REPORTING TODAY.
>> YES, CHRISTIE MCDONALD HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH
THAT JOURNALIST. BUT WHAT DO
YOU HAVE TO SAY?
>> WELL, RHONDA AND KIM, I
SPOKE WITH KENNY JACOBY JUST
ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, AND HE IS AN
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER AT USA
TODAY, AND HE SPECIALIZES IN
TITLE NINE REPORTING. AND ALSO
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES. HE TALKS
ABOUT THE REACTION SINCE THE
STORY BROKE YESTERDAY MORNING.
>> CAN YOU TELL US INITIALLY
HOW YOU GOT THE TIP ON THIS? I
KNOW THIS IS THE KIND OF
REPORTING THAT YOU SPECIALIZE
IN.
>> YEAH, I DON’T WANT TO GO TOO
MUCH INTO THE PROCESS OF HOW WE
GOT THE STORY, BUT I WILL SAY
THAT IT BRENDA, IS THE ONE WHO
CONTACTED US ABOUT THE PIECE
AND THEN SHE SHARED THE CASE
DOCUMENTS WITH US THAT ALLOWED
US TO WRITE THE PIECE.
>> WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN
THE LAST 24 HOURS?
>> I’M SEEING A LOT OF OUTRAGE
FROM STUDENTS, PEOPLE WHO WORK
AT MSU ALUMNI AND JUST
COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN EAST
LANSING. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
ARE VERY UPSET THAT THIS SEEMS
TO HAVE THE STENCH OF A COVER
UP, GIVEN THAT THIS CASE HAS
BEEN GOING ON FOR 8 OR 9 MONTHS
AND WE ARE JUST HEARING ABOUT
IT PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME
YESTERDAY. AND THEN, OF COURSE
, THE SUSPENSION CAME DOWN NINE
MONTHS INTO THE CASE AND SO I
THINK GIVEN ALL THE ISSUES THAT
MSU HAS HAD WITH SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT OVER THE YEARS, THIS
DOESN’T SIT WELL WITH A LOT OF
PEOPLE, THAT THIS IS HOW IT’S
COMING OUT AND THAT IT’S BEING
HANDLED THIS WAY.
>> NOW WE TALK ABOUT
TRANSPARENCY AT MICHIGAN STATE.
THE NEXT QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO
BE ANSWERED HERE AND REALLY THE
PROCESS THAT IS GOING TO BE
PLAYING OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF WEEKS. MY FULL INTERVIEW
WITH KENNY JACOBY WILL BE
COMING UP AT 1230 TODAY ON THE
DAILY. PLUS LIVE THAT’S
STREAMING ON LOCAL 4. I’M GOING
TO SEND IT BACK TO YOU GUYS.
>> OH, IT’S SO INTERESTING TO
GET HIS PERSPECTIVE. WE’RE
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
CHRISTIE, THANK YOU. MEANWHILE
WHILE IT WAS A COMFORTABLE
WEEKEND ACROSS METRO DETROIT,
COOLER TEMPERATURES THAN WHAT
WE’VE BEEN USED TO, BUT IT
REALLY MADE FOR A GREAT WEEKEND
OUTSIDE TO GET OUT AND COOLER,
BUT NOT COLD, WHICH WILL TAKE
ASHLEY YEAH, THAT’S REALLY THE
BEAUTY OF SEPTEMBER THAT YOU
HAVE MORE COMFORTABLE
AFTERNOONS STILL THE COOL
NIGHTS AND THEN WE FLIP THE
SWITCH TO OCTOBER AND THEN WE
KNOW WHAT’S AHEAD AFTER THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW DOWNTOWN DETROIT
STILL GETTING SOME SUN AS THE
CLOUDS ARE PUSHING IN FROM THE
WEST. BUT IN DOWNTOWN WE’RE
HOLDING ON TO THE SUN AS LONG
AS WE CAN. YOU CAN SEE IT
SHINING OVER HUNTINGTON PLACE,
EVERYONE GEARING UP FOR THE
AUTO SHOW. 69 DEGREES IN
DETROIT. SAME IN ANN ARBOR, 68
IN PORT HURON, 69 IN ADRIAN.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT SATELLITE AND
RADAR, YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT
MOISTURE HAS CROSSED MID
MICHIGAN. SO IT’S JUST A MATTER
OF TIME THAT THOSE SHOWERS WILL
MAKE ITS WAY HERE. WE’RE
STARTING TO SEE THAT ACROSS
LANSING, BUT WE DO HAVE MOSTLY
CLOUD COVER ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN
MICHIGAN. BUT THE FAR EAST SIDE
HERE IN DETROIT, WE’RE GETTING
A FEW PEEKS OF THE SUN THROUGH
THOSE CLOUDS. WE’LL ZOOM IN
JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER WHERE
WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE
SUNSHINE AS YOU GET CLOSER TO
PORT HURON. OTHERWISE BY METRO
AIRPORT, OVERCAST SKIES AND
THEN WE HAVE RAIN SHOWERS BY
LANSING, OWOSSO AND THAT’S
PUSHING EASTWARD AS WE SPEAK.
SO INCREASING CLOUDS WITH A FEW
AFTERNOON SHOWERS POSSIBLE
TODAY. WE’LL SEE A COUPLE OF
THOSE SPOTTY SHOWERS, PROBABLY
ABOUT 3:00 ONWARD WITH 74 FOR
THE AFTERNOON. HIGH THE WEEK
AHEAD. WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
WHILE THIS AFTERNOON AND GOING
INTO PARTS OF YOUR TUESDAY THAT
MAKES THESE NEXT TWO DAYS THE
WETTEST DAYS OF THE WEEK AND
TODAY’S THE WARMEST. HOWEVER,
EVEN THOUGH WE TAKE A TUMBLE
WEDNESDAY, WE GET MORE SUNSHINE
COME THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SO
WE’LL BREAK DOWN THE TIMING OF
WHEN THIS RAIN EXACTLY PUSHES
OUT. COMING UP IN JUST A FEW
MINUTES.
>> A GRAVEL HAULER ROLLED OVER
ON M-14 TODAY OVER IN PLYMOUTH,
CLOSING SEVERAL LANES OF THE
HIGHWAY DURING THE MORNING
COMMUTE. IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE
MESS. SKY4 WAS OVER THE SCENE
JUST BEFORE 9 A.M. YOU CAN SEE
THE GRAVEL ALL OVER THE ROAD.
AND THAT TRUCK RIGHT ON ITS
SIDE THERE. NO WORD RIGHT NOW
ON WHAT CAUSED THAT TRUCK TO
CRASH. THERE’S ALSO NO WORD ON
ANY INJURIES. WE’LL KEEP YOU
UPDATED ON THIS. AND THEN OVER
IN OAKLAND COUNTY, THE
EASTBOUND LANES OF M 59 WERE
CLOSED THIS MORNING AFTER A
CRASH INVOLVING THREE VEHICLES.
POLICE SAY THE CRASH HAPPENED
AROUND 5:35 A.M. BUT THIS WAS
THE SCENE JUST AFTER 730, A 25
YEAR OLD BRANDON TOWNSHIP MAN
WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON M
59, CROSSED OVER THE MEDIAN,
STRIKING TWO VEHICLES. ONE
PERSON SUFFERED ONLY MINOR
INJURIES. THE 25 YEAR OLD AND
ONE OTHER PERSON INVOLVED ARE
IN CRITICAL CONDITION. IF YOU
WITNESSED THIS CRASH, YOU’RE
ASKED TO CALL OAKLAND COUNTY
SHERIFF’S OFFICE NON-EMERGENCY
LINE.
>> ONE PERSON WAS SHOT AND
KILLED IN SOUTHWEST DETROIT
THIS MORNING AFTER AN ARGUMENT
BECAME DEADLY. DETROIT POLICE
SAY IT HAPPENED AT A BAR AROUND
2:00 IN THE MORNING. THE VICTIM
IS ONLY DESCRIBED AS AN ADULT
MALE. THE SHOOTER FLED THE
SCENE. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT WHAT UNFOLDED HERE, YOU
CAN CONTACT CRIME STOPPERS AND
REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
>> NEW AT NOON, THE AMERICAN
RED CROSS IS ASKING AMERICANS
TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES.
>> THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
SAYS ITS EMERGENCY BLOOD
DONATION SUPPLIES ARE
CRITICALLY LOW NOW AND THE RED
CROSS PROVIDES ABOUT 40% OF THE
UNITED STATES BLOOD SUPPLY.
>> AND BLOOD COMPONENTS TO
HOSPITALS. THE LOW SUPPLY COMES
FROM A DROP IN DONATIONS AND
BACK TO BACK MONTHS OF CLIMATE
DRIVEN DISASTER ORDERS. IT
NEEDS TO COLLECT ABOUT 12,500
DONATIONS EACH DAY TO MEET
PATIENT NEEDS. SO HOPEFULLY YOU
CAN DONATE.
>> IT’S A GREAT THING TO DO.
>> YES, IT IS. MEMORIALS
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS AND ARE
TAKING PLACE HERE AT HOME AND
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN
OAKLAND COUNTY, IT IS THE
ANNUAL MICHIGAN FALLEN HEROES
MEMORIAL CEREMONY IN PONTIAC,
WHERE WE WILL REMEMBER OFFICERS
AND FIREFIGHTERS IN MICHIGAN
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE
LINE OF DUTY. THAT GETS
UNDERWAY AT 2:00 THIS AFTERNOON
IN FARMINGTON.
>> THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
WILL HOLD A CEREMONY. AND ALONG
WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES AT RILEY
PARK. OFFICER OF THE YEAR
HONORS WILL BE GIVEN TO POLICE
OFFICERS. FIREFIGHTER AND
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS. THAT
GOES FROM 230 UNTIL 730 THIS
EVENING. OVER IN NEW YORK, A
SOLOMON SOLOMON BELL TOLL AND A
MOMENT OF SILENCE AT 9:03 A.M.
THE MOMENT FLIGHT 175 STRUCK
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER’S SOUTH
TOWER.
>> LET’S GET TO NBC’S REHEMA
ELLIS. SHE HAS MORE FROM NEAR
GROUND ZERO IN NEW YORK CITY.
>> 22 YEARS AGO, AMERICA STOOD
STILL. TODAY, THE NATION IS
TAKING ANOTHER SOMBER PAUSE TO
REMEMBER ALMOST 3000 PEOPLE WHO
DIED IN THE TERRORIST ATTACKS.
HERE IN AMERICA. PRESIDENT
BIDEN IS NOT ATTENDING MEMORIAL
SERVICE AT 9/11 MEMORIAL SITES.
INSTEAD HE’S AT A MILITARY BASE
IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, RETURNING
FROM HIS OVERSEAS TRIP TO INDIA
FOR THE G20 SUMMIT IN VIETNAM.
HE IS EXPECTED TO DELIVER
REMARKS AND MEET WITH OVER A
THOUSAND SERVICE MEMBERS AND
FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES AND IN MANY WAYS
CELEBRATING THEIR CALL TO
SERVICE AS MANY OF THEM FELT
THAT CALL TO SERVICE FOLLOWING
THE ATTACK ON NINE DIVIDED BY
11. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA
HARRIS WAS HERE ATTENDING THE
COMMEMORATION CEREMONY IN NEW
YORK. AND IN HONOR OF THE DAY,
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS
AWARDING $4 MILLION IN FUNDING
TO THE NATIONAL 9/11 MEMORIAL
AND MUSEUM HERE IN NEW YORK
CITY. THE TRAGEDY OF THIS
ATTACK REMAINS FOR SO MANY
FAMILIES, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
THEM ARE DEALING WITH HEALTH
ISSUES AS A RESULT OF THE
ATTACKS THAT DAY. IN ADDITION,
MORE THAN 4000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED
FROM 9/11 RELATED ILLNESSES.
IT’S A REMINDER THAT THIS
TRAGEDY GOES ON DESPITE THE
FACT IT’S BEEN 22 YEARS. PEOPLE