The ongoing Larry Nassar sexual abuse case has been rife with controversy since its first day. In just a short amount of time, dozens of women have come forth to submit their own complaints, some of them dating back to 1999. As the case develops, more eyes are turning to Michigan State University (MSU), where Nassar was employed for close to 20 years as a team physician.
Can MSU be held accountable for some of Nassar’s wrongdoings? Statements from many victims that allege sexual harassment from Nassar continue to implicate MSU to some extent, mainly through negligence that allowed Nassar to allegedly continue his sexual abuse of athletes for years.
A few actions and behaviors allegedly carried out by MSU officials that have raised eyebrows include:
- Several women have claimed that MSU officials told them to give “no comments” to the media or law enforcement regarding their accusations of Nassar’s sexual harassment. Instead of speaking openly with outside investigators, the women were allegedly told to inform any inquiring parties to speak with MSU’s legal department instead. If this proves to be true, it could be a serious obstruction of justice.
- When discussing a separate, ongoing investigation against Larry Nassar after more than 37,000 images of child pornography was found on his personal computer, an MSU representative suggested it was all a setup, that Nassar had been framed. The suggestion was seen as curious by investigators.
- Nassar was known to carry out unusual “medical procedures” on female patients, including genital acupuncture and manual vaginal penetration for “realignment”. He has stated, through his own attorneys, that these are acceptable treatment processes but there is no information that claims what sort of treatments the actions were meant to provide.
- Shortly after making allegations against Nassar, some female victims report that they were notified by MSU officials that random cellphone checks would begin. The intent of the checks was not made clear but it is believed that the Representatives of Michigan State University wanted to check call records to see if the student had spoken to the authorities or the media about the sexual harassment claims.
If MSU is found to be negligent in its handling of allegations, or if it can be shown that it was intentionally trying to shield Nassar, the legal fallout at the university could be extensive. Officials from the Michigan State University Police Department, on-campus medical examiners, and ranking administration members could all be impacted.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
To stay on top of this ongoing story as it develops, visit our blog regularly for updates. White Law PLLC is actually handling complaints for women who have been sexually assaulted or abused by Nassar. If you need someone to talk to about an incident of your own, you are encouraged to contact our firm by calling (517) 316-1195 to schedule a complimentary and confidential consultation with our Lansing campus sexual assault attorneys.
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