Michigan State University is fighting on multiple legal fronts in 2026: a cluster of cases connected to former football coach Mel Tucker and advocate Brenda Tracy, a $100 million pesticide-exposure suit from a former graduate student, a Detroit College of Law merger dispute the Michigan Supreme Court just declined to review, a threatened racial discrimination suit from a sitting trustee, and NCAA recruiting penalties, all layered over the long tail of the Larry Nassar settlement. The major MSU lawsuits and legal disputes break down as follows.
Brenda Tracy’s Federal Suit Against the Board
Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault prevention advocate hired by Tucker in 2022 to educate the football team, filed a formal Title IX complaint in December 2022 accusing Tucker of sexually harassing her during an April 2022 phone call. MSU investigators concluded in January 2024 that Tucker more likely than not harassed Tracy on multiple occasions. The university suspended Tucker without pay in September 2023, the same day USA Today reported on the investigation, and fired him for cause two weeks later, citing moral turpitude. Tucker had been working under a 10-year, $95 million contract signed in 2021, with roughly $79 million remaining at termination.1Athletic Business. MSU Releases AD Haller’s Letter Officially Terminating Mel Tucker2ESPN. Mel Tucker Tells MSU, File Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
In June 2025, Tracy sued the MSU Board of Trustees and two individual trustees, Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno, in federal court. She alleged that a trustee leaked her identity as the complainant during the confidential investigation, derailing her career and exposing her to harassment and threats.3Detroit News. Federal Judge Dismisses Brenda Tracy’s Lawsuit Against Michigan State University4Click on Detroit. Judge Dismisses Brenda Tracy’s Lawsuit Against Michigan State University5The State News. Federal Judge Tosses Brenda Tracy’s Suit Against MSU Board and Two Trustees
Tracy’s Two Suits Against Tucker
Tracy also filed two lawsuits directly against Tucker. The first, filed in 2023 over the release of private text messages, was dismissed by Ingham County Judge Wanda Stokes in May 2024. The second, a nine-count defamation and reputation-damage suit filed in October 2024, was dismissed by the same judge in January 2026. Stokes found the claims were either barred by statutes of limitation or raised no factual issue for a jury. Tracy’s attorney, Karen Truszkowski, said she was considering an appeal, and a separate earlier case against Tucker remains before the Michigan Court of Appeals.6Lansing State Journal. Ingham County Judge Dismisses Brenda Tracy Lawsuit Against Mel Tucker7WILX. Ingham County Judge Dismisses Brenda Tracy Lawsuit Against Former MSU Coach Mel Tucker
Tracy v. Mat Ishbia and United Wholesale Mortgage
In March 2026, Tracy opened a new front by suing MSU donor Mat Ishbia and his company, United Wholesale Mortgage, in Oakland County Circuit Court. The complaint alleges that UWM’s then-general counsel, David Zacks, was included in confidential communications about Tracy’s complaint without her knowledge in order to protect Ishbia’s interests and investments in the football program. Tracy’s attorney called the arrangement a “serious breach” of her right to confidentiality, alleging that “powerful non-MSU actors intervened to protect Tucker, constrain institutional action, and manage the narrative.” A UWM spokesperson called the case “totally fabricated and unfounded,” saying Zacks and Tucker were longtime personal friends and the communications were personal. Zacks died in 2024. The case is active, and Tracy is seeking a jury trial.8Lansing State Journal. Brenda Tracy Sues Mat Ishbia Over Mel Tucker Probe9The State News. Donor Illegally Sought to Keep Tabs on Tucker Investigation, Brenda Tracy Says
Mel Tucker’s Suit Against MSU
On July 31, 2024, Tucker sued MSU, the Board of Trustees, Athletic Director Alan Haller, General Counsel Brian Quinn, and former interim President Teresa Woodruff in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Tucker alleges breach of contract, defamation, and violations of his due process and equal protection rights, calling the university’s investigation a “sham” and claiming he was fired without a proper hearing. He maintains his interactions with Tracy were consensual and private. Judge Maloney granted Tucker leave to amend his complaint after MSU moved to dismiss, and as of mid-2026, motions to dismiss the amended complaint are pending.10Marquette University Law School. Mel Tucker Article
The $100 Million Pesticide Exposure Suit
Former horticulture graduate student LingLong Wei filed a $100 million lawsuit against MSU in August 2025 in Ingham County Circuit Court. Wei, who attended MSU from 2008 to 2011, alleges she was required to spray hazardous pesticides and herbicides, including paraquat, glyphosate, and oxyfluorfen, for up to eight hours a day without being provided personal protective equipment or required safety training.11Detroit Free Press. Michigan State University Lawsuit Research Assistant
In 2010, Wei sought medical care at MSU’s Olin Health Center for shortness of breath; the suit alleges her complaints were attributed to anxiety rather than chemical exposure. In 2024, she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma and underwent surgery to remove her thyroid. The lawsuit asserts the cancer was directly caused by her unprotected chemical exposure during graduate research.12WILX. Former Student Announces $100M Lawsuit Against Michigan State University
The suit names MSU, the Board of Trustees, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Department of Horticulture, the Office of International Students and Scholars, and three individuals: Professor Emeritus Bernard Zandstra, former international students director Peter Briggs, and former research manager Rodney Tocco Jr. The claims allege gross negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Wei’s attorney, Maya Green, stated in a demand letter that other student researchers may have suffered similar harm. MSU says it cannot comment on pending litigation but maintains it provides required training and equipment in compliance with applicable laws. The case remains in early stages with no rulings on any motions.13Michigan Advance. Former Michigan State Horticulture Student Files $100 Million Lawsuit Over Pesticide Exposure
The Detroit College of Law Merger Case
Former Detroit College of Law professors Amy and Robert McCormick resigned from their tenured positions in 2013 in exchange for contractual guarantees including retirement benefits and emeritus teaching status. When MSU acquired the Detroit College of Law through a 2019 asset purchase agreement, it assumed the school’s liabilities. The McCormicks allege MSU and DCL officials deliberately misled them about this arrangement, with a dean characterizing the integration as an asset sale that would absolve MSU of liability, and an MSU attorney telling Amy McCormick any contract claim would have to go against the defunct law school rather than the university.14Yahoo News. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal
The McCormicks say they did not discover the details of the asset purchase agreement until May 2022 and filed suit against MSU in the Court of Claims that September. MSU argued the suit was time-barred because Michigan law generally requires claims against government entities within one year. The central legal question became whether the fraudulent-concealment exception could toll that notice requirement. The Court of Claims ruled in the McCormicks’ favor, and the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed in a 2-1 decision in January 2025.15Michigan Courts. McCormick v. Michigan State University, SC No. 168334
On May 8, 2026, the Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear MSU’s appeal, stating the justices were “not persuaded that the question presented should be reviewed.” Justice Brian Zahra dissented, arguing the plaintiffs failed to comply with statutory notice requirements. The case has returned to the Court of Claims, where Judge Sima Patel ordered MSU to file a response to the complaint by June 2, 2026.16Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Michigan Supreme Court MSU Law School Merger Appeal
Trustee Rema Vassar’s Threatened Discrimination Suit
MSU Trustee Rema Vassar submitted a 23-page pre-litigation demand letter in May 2026 alleging years of racial discrimination during her tenure as a board member and former chairperson. Vassar, who is Black, claims the university and fellow trustees repeatedly violated board policy to single her out, asserting that “no comparable pressure campaign has ever been mounted against any white trustee for governance-related conduct.” She is seeking at least $25 million in damages, along with rescission of her 2024 censure and a public acknowledgment from Board Chair Brianna Scott and President Kevin Guskiewicz of her service.17The State News. Vassar Prepares Legal Action Alleging Years of Racial Discrimination
The demand names MSU, the Board of Trustees, Scott, former trustee Dan Kelly, General Counsel Brian Quinn, and former trustee Dianne Byrum as potential defendants. The letter also challenges the board’s newly revised code of ethics as a violation of the First Amendment’s protections against prior restraint and compelled speech. Vassar gave the university until June 17, 2026, to respond, with her attorney indicating a federal lawsuit would follow absent a meaningful resolution. MSU Vice President of Communications Emily Guerrant said the university had not been served an intent to sue and that “if this turns into litigation, we plan to fight it.”18Detroit News. Michigan State Trustee Vassar Threatens Lawsuit Against University Over Discrimination
The threatened suit grew out of a 2024 external investigation by the law firm Miller & Chevalier that found Vassar and Trustee Dennis Denno had “engaged in conduct that exceeds the scope of their authority.” The report found Vassar had accepted private jet flights and courtside basketball tickets from a donor who was simultaneously negotiating trademark rights with MSU, participated in settlement negotiations without the board’s knowledge, and coordinated with students to embarrass Interim President Teresa Woodruff. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declined to remove the trustees in 2025.19Inside Higher Ed. Report: Two Michigan State Trustees Violated Ethics20Michigan Advance. MSU Trustees Continue to Push Back Against Board Policy Tamping Down on Dissent
In May 2026, the board voted 5-3 to adopt a revised code of ethics barring trustees from publicly dissenting against majority decisions in their official capacities. Vassar and Trustee Mike Balow refused to sign the acknowledgment and were censured on June 12, 2026, in a 4-3 vote, losing privileges including complimentary athletic event tickets, travel reimbursement, and Mackinac Policy Conference credentials. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent the board a letter on May 29, 2026, arguing the code violates the First Amendment by restricting elected officials’ speech on university affairs. MSU’s spokesperson said the board conducted a “thorough legal review” and that the standards “in no way limit free speech.”21The State News. MSU Trustees Mike Balow and Rema Vassar Censured Following Ethics Code Dispute22News From the States. Changes to MSU Trustee Code of Conduct Violate First Amendment, Free Speech Group Warns
NCAA Recruiting Penalties
MSU’s football program was penalized in November 2025 through a negotiated resolution with the NCAA over Level I recruiting violations from October 2021 through March 2023. The NCAA found that staffers arranged impermissible inducements for six recruits, including airfare, hotel stays, and airport transportation, with unauthorized inducements totaling roughly $14,000. Tucker was cited for failing to oversee off-field operations, deferring all decisions to former general manager Saeed Khalif.23Detroit News. Michigan State Punished in Negotiated Resolution With NCAA
The penalties include three years of probation, 14 vacated wins from the 2022-2024 seasons, a fine of $30,000 plus 1.5% of the football budget, and reductions in recruiting activities. Tucker received a three-year show-cause order with a four-game suspension if hired by another NCAA school. Khalif received a six-year show-cause order, and former staffer Brandon Jordan received a five-year show-cause order.
The Nassar Settlement in the Background
Every current MSU case sits in the shadow of the Larry Nassar scandal. In 2018, MSU agreed to pay $500 million to 332 survivors of Nassar’s sexual abuse, split between $425 million for existing claimants and $75 million set aside in a trust for future claimants.24MSU Today. Larry Nassar Survivors and Michigan State University Announce They Have Successfully Resolved Claims Combined with a $380 million settlement from USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee, and a $138.7 million federal settlement over the FBI’s failure to properly investigate, the total payout for failures to stop Nassar’s abuse has exceeded $1 billion.25WILX. Government Settlement Brings Total Nassar Payout Over $1 Billion The Michigan Attorney General’s office continues to maintain an investigation into the university’s handling of the matter.26Michigan Attorney General. MSU Investigation