Michigan State University recently turned over thousands of documents related to the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, shedding little new light on what the institution may have known about the abuse. The state attorney general expressed surprise at the lack of incriminating evidence found in the documents, given the scale of the university and its workforce.
Larry Nassar, a former campus doctor and USA Gymnastics physician, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for sexually assaulting female athletes under the guise of medical treatment. In 2018, Michigan State reached a $500 million settlement with numerous victims, primarily women, who accused Nassar of abuse.
Despite ongoing legal battles over document disclosure, over 100,000 records were initially provided to investigators, with an additional 6,000 documents withheld under attorney-client privilege until this year. The attorney general criticized the university for previously claiming privilege over all documents and plans to make the records public.
While former gymnastics coach Kathie Klages was convicted of lying to investigators about abuse allegations dating back to the 1990s, the conviction was later overturned. Former Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon also faced charges of misleading investigators, which were dismissed before trial.
Michigan State University maintains that no one at the institution covered up Nassar's actions. The attorney general expressed frustration at the lack of clarity on how the abuse persisted for so long without intervention.
In response to the Nassar scandal, Michigan State has implemented significant safety and cultural reforms since 2016. The repercussions of the case have extended beyond the university, with settlements reached by the U.S. Justice Department, USA Gymnastics, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for mishandling abuse allegations.
A recent report by the Justice Department's internal watchdog highlighted failures by the FBI to report child sexual abuse allegations promptly, even after the mishandling of claims against Nassar prompted policy changes.
