Lou Anna Simon, who has been president of Michigan State U. since 2005, faces renewed scrutiny as more women speak out about being abused by Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor and former university physician.
Updated (1/19/18, 2:09 a.m.) with news of a vote on a resolution by the university’s student government.
ADetroit News investigation published on Thursday said that at least 14 people at Michigan State University knew about sexual-misconduct allegations against Larry Nassar, former team physician for USA Gymnastics and an associate professor at the university’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. The story, as well as the devastating accounts told by women this week at Dr. Nassar’s sentencing hearing, have strengthened calls for Lou Anna K. Simon, the university’s president, to resign.
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Lou Anna Simon, who has been president of Michigan State U. since 2005, faces renewed scrutiny as more women speak out about being abused by Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor and former university physician.
Updated (1/19/18, 2:09 a.m.) with news of a vote on a resolution by the university’s student government.
ADetroit News investigation published on Thursday said that at least 14 people at Michigan State University knew about sexual-misconduct allegations against Larry Nassar, former team physician for USA Gymnastics and an associate professor at the university’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. The story, as well as the devastating accounts told by women this week at Dr. Nassar’s sentencing hearing, have strengthened calls for Lou Anna K. Simon, the university’s president, to resign.
According to the newspaper, at least eight women reported Mr. Nassar’s actions during the two decades preceding his arrest, in 2016. Six of them said they had reported it to at least one person at Michigan State. The university has said that its police department did not know about allegations involving the doctor until 2014, when it shared a report with local prosecutors.
Dr. Nassar was fired by Michigan State in September 2016, after news reports about his abuses prompted more women to come forward.
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More than 100 people were scheduled to testify this week about sexual abuse that they or their family members had endured from Dr. Nassar. He was convicted of seven counts of criminal sexual conduct. In addition, in December he was sentenced to 60 years in prison on child-pornography charges.
Many critics have called out Michigan State for not doing enough to stop the abuse, according to reporters in the courtroom.
Reeb: My #Spartan pride is a victim. I decided to go to #MichiganState when I was 9, taught her kids the fight song and how to say #GoGreen. I am disgusted and outraged at the administration. I might not be here if MSU had taken care of this. “I no longer bleed green.”
On Wednesday, Amanda Thomashow testified that she had filed a Title IX complaint with Michigan State. But a report concluded that Dr. Nassar’s conduct “was not of a sexual nature,” according to the Detroit News.
Ms. Simon told the newspaper that she “was informed that a sports-medicine doctor was under investigation,” but that she had not received a copy of the report. Athletic trainers, coaches, and other university employees also knew about allegations of abuse, the newspaper said.
Michigan lawmakers have called on Ms. Simon to step down, as have newspapers in the state. Thursday night, Michigan State’s student government passed a resolution stating that a change was needed at “the highest levels” of the university’s administration. Earlier that day, the front page of Michigan State’s student newspaper simply said: “President Simon, Resign.”
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From the editorial we published today: “You ‘apologized’ to them, you have thrown money at them, but about the only thing you haven’t done is listen.” pic.twitter.com/pg65XdGw49
Lindsey Lemke, a 22-year-old student and gymnast who said she had been abused by Dr. Nassar, told reporters that Ms. Simon is “not a president and she doesn’t control us anymore.”
Ms. Simon became president of Michigan State in 2005, after serving as provost and vice president for student affairs.
The university faces several lawsuits brought by victims who seek to hold officials there responsible for Dr. Nassar’s abuses. Michigan State has denied those claims, saying that the university had conducted a joint investigation with the FBI to determine whether other university employees besides Dr. Nassar had engaged in criminal conduct. It had sent results to prosecutors, it said.
A lawyer for the university, Patrick Fitzgerald, has said that the evidence will show that no Michigan State officials “believed” that Dr. Nassar had abused his patients until the allegations were made public in news reports.
For now Ms. Simon is staying put. “Board members are aware of the statements legislators and others have made,” said Jason Cody, a spokesman for Michigan State. “They appreciate their opinion and perspective. The board continues to support the president.”
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Nell Gluckman writes about faculty issues and other topics in higher education. You can follow her on Twitter @nellgluckman, or email her at nell.gluckman@chronicle.com.
Nell Gluckman is a senior reporter who writes about research, ethics, funding issues, affirmative action, and other higher-education topics. You can follow her on Twitter @nellgluckman, or email her at nell.gluckman@chronicle.com.
