Nassar survivors allege Michigan State made "secret decisions" about releasing documents in new lawsuit
Women who were sexually assaulted by former Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar filed a lawsuit Thursday saying school officials made "secret decisions" about releasing documents in the case.
The group of survivors and parents says the lawsuit seeks accountability — not money — from the university. They say the school refused to give the state attorney general's office more than 6,000 documents for an investigation into how Nassar was allowed to get away with his behavior, and later wouldn't turn over emails about the board of trustees' decision-making. The school has said the documents are protected by attorney-client privilege.
Nassar was sentenced in 2018 to 40 to 175 years in prison after he admitted to molesting some of the nation's top gymnasts for years under the guise of medical treatment. He was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of women and girls. He was recently stabbed multiple times in prison after reportedly making a lewd comment while watching a Wimbledon tennis match on TV.
Michigan State has been criticized for its handling of the Nassar investigation and its dealings with survivors in the aftermath of his arrest and conviction. The school has settled lawsuits filed by Nassar victims for $500 million and was ordered by the Department of Education to pay $4.5 million in fines, as well as to make sweeping changes, after two investigations. William Strampel, a former dean at the school with oversight of Nassar, was sentenced to up to a year in prison after being convicted of neglect of duty and misconduct in office in 2019. Former Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon, who resigned in the wake of Nassar's sentencing, was charged with lying to police in 2018. The school was also investigated by the NCAA.