John Engler Is Out at Michigan State. Here Are 3 Moments That Got Him Booted.

Todd McInturf, The Detroit News via AP

Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees on Thursday abruptly ended the rocky, yearlong tenure of John M. Engler, its interim president. Engler was hired in the aftermath of the Larry Nassar sexual-abuse scandal, when the university faced potential lawsuits from hundreds of survivors and a state investigation into its handling of accusations against the former gymnastics doctor. But the tenure of Engler, a former Michigan governor, seemed only to exacerbate the scandal, with one trustee declaring that Engler’s departure would end his “reign of terror.”

Here are three moments that led to Engler’s ouster:

1. Within a few months of taking office, Engler was accused of offering a cash payoff to a survivor.

Engler took office on February 5, 2018, after the resignation of Lou Anna K. Simon, the university’s longtime president. On April 13 he was accused of pressuring Kaylee Lorincz, a gymnast who had been sexually assaulted by Nassar, to accept a cash payoff of $250,000. Her accusation came to light at a Board of Trustees meeting in front of a crowd of protesters. In a private meeting on March 28, she said, she had rejected the offer, to which Engler had replied, “Well, give me a number.”

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.

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• 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

In a statement from Engler and his team, he said, “Our memories and interpretation of the March 28 meeting are different than hers.” In an earlier draft of that emailed statement, Engler had included an apology to Lorincz and other assault victims. But in the final statement, the apology was cut.

2. Engler’s emails reveal he claimed an abuse victim was probably getting paid for the “manipulation” of other survivors.

In emails obtained by The Chronicle, Engler asserted that the first woman to accuse Nassar, Rachael J. Denhollander, would receive a “kickback” from her lawyer, John C. Manly, for her role in the “manipulation” of other abuse survivors. In the email, Engler said it was too bad there couldn’t be a debate over “who is really trying to help those who were harmed by Nassar.”

Denhollander said she was not surprised by the accusation and rebutted it. She called for Engler to go, and she wasn’t the only one. Even former political allies publicly condemned Engler for his remarks.

In late June, after much resistance, Engler apologized for the emails: “That was a big mistake. I was wrong. I apologize.” He would face more calls to apologize in the new year.

3. Engler said sexual-abuse survivors were “enjoying” the “spotlight.”

Engler told the editorial board of The Detroit News last week that the survivors were “enjoying” the “spotlight” that came from having been sexual assaulted. Days later, Dianne Y. Byrum, chairwoman of Michigan State’s Board of Trustees, requested and received Engler’s resignation.

“In some ways, they have been able to deal with this better than the ones who’ve been in the spotlight who are still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition. And it’s ending. It’s almost done,” Engler said in an interview with the News.

Now it is done. Byrum and four other members of the board publicly admonished Engler for his remarks. His 11-page resignation was accepted with one caveat: He couldn’t stick around for a week, as he’d proposed. His resignation was made effective immediately, and the university plans to name a permanent president in June.

Follow Lily Jackson on Twitter at @lilygjack, or email her at lily.jackson@chronicle.com.