> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Leadership
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Engler’s Michigan State U. Presidency Is as Imperiled as Ever. And That’s Saying Something.

By  Jack Stripling
January 14, 2019
John Engler, interim president of Michigan State U.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
John Engler, interim president of Michigan State U.

John M. Engler is running out of friends — again.

More members of Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees came forward on Monday to condemn Engler, the interim president, whose recent suggestion that sexual-abuse survivors are “enjoying” the “spotlight” sparked outrage and renewed calls for his ouster.

The growing number of board members willing to publicly admonish Engler, coupled with the suggestion from trustees that some form of action may come as early as this week, raises the specter that his interim presidency is as imperiled as it has ever been.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

John Engler, interim president of Michigan State U.
Mark Wilson, Getty Images
John Engler, interim president of Michigan State U.

John M. Engler is running out of friends — again.

More members of Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees came forward on Monday to condemn Engler, the interim president, whose recent suggestion that sexual-abuse survivors are “enjoying” the “spotlight” sparked outrage and renewed calls for his ouster.

The growing number of board members willing to publicly admonish Engler, coupled with the suggestion from trustees that some form of action may come as early as this week, raises the specter that his interim presidency is as imperiled as it has ever been.

And that’s saying something.

Engler’s position has been precarious since his appointment last year, when he was swiftly hired to stabilize an institution that had been rocked by revelations that Larry Nassar, a former university sports doctor, had sexually abused women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.

ADVERTISEMENT

The former Republican governor has regularly gotten crosswise with Nassar’s victims, impugning their motives in public comments and private emails that were later made public by the news media.

Engler’s latest gaffe came on Friday, in an interview with The Detroit News’s editorial board. In the ensuing days, members of the university’s governing board have signaled that they may have finally had enough.

In a LinkedIn message to The Chronicle on Monday, Nancy Schlichting, a newly appointed trustee, became the third of the board’s eight members to publicly condemn Engler’s assertion.

“I am appalled by John Engler’s recent comments,” she wrote, “but would prefer not to meet with any reporters until the board has an opportunity to respond this week.”

Three victims of Larry Nassar — Kaylee Lorincz, Rachael Denhollander, and Lindsey Lemke — spoke in Lansing, Mich., in November 2017. Testimony by them and others at his sentencing hearing, in January 2018, undermined support for Michigan State’s president, Lou Anna K. Simon.
The Nassar Scandal and the Crisis of Michigan State’s President
Within a year the university lost two chief executives — Lou Anna K. Simon, sank by the scathing, heart-rending testimony of the sports doctor’s scores of victims, and John M. Engler, whose interim presidency ended amid a backlash over his bare-knuckled tactics.
  • With Criminal Charges Dismissed Against Michigan State’s Ex-President, Sex-Abuse Accountability Hits Skids Again
  • Michigan State’s Ex-President, Who Faces Criminal Charges, Will Retire With a $2.5-Million Payout
  • At Michigan State, a Disruptive Presidency That Few Could Muster the Will to End

ADVERTISEMENT

Schlichting did not reply to a follow-up question about what sort of response might be coming this week, but another board member, who has previously called for Engler’s removal, made the same allusion to potential action from the trustees.

“I am working closely with some of my colleagues to consider next steps,” said Brian Mosallam, a trustee and former Spartan football player.

Mosallam, who called for Engler’s dismissal in June, would not elaborate on what those next steps might be. But he condemned Engler’s remarks in an interview with The Washington Post on Monday and reiterated those concerns to The Chronicle.

“His comments were totally inappropriate, yet par for the course for John Engler,” he told The Chronicle.

Michigan State has not responded to multiple requests since Saturday for comment from Engler.

ADVERTISEMENT

The votes of five of the eight trustees, a simple majority, would be needed to fire Engler. Turnover on the board has renewed questions about whether the interim president can keep his job until June, when the university expects to name a permanent replacement.

Jack Stripling covers college leadership, particularly presidents and governing boards. Follow him on Twitter @jackstripling, or email him at jack.stripling@chronicle.com.

Read other items in this The Nassar Scandal and the Crisis of Michigan State’s President package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Leadership & Governance
Jack Stripling
Jack Stripling was a senior writer at The Chronicle, where he covered college leadership, particularly presidents and governing boards. Follow him on Twitter @jackstripling.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin