Michigan State University has turned over thousands of documents regarding their knowledge of the sexual abuse carried out by Larry Nassar, but the materials do not reveal any new information, according to State Attorney General Dana Nessel. Nessel expressed surprise at the lack of incriminating evidence found in the documents during a news conference.
Larry Nassar, a former campus doctor at Michigan State and also affiliated with USA Gymnastics, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for sexually assaulting female athletes under the guise of medical treatment. In 2018, the university reached a $500 million settlement with hundreds of individuals, mainly women, who were victims of Nassar’s abuse.
Over the years, there have been disputes between the attorney general’s office and Michigan State’s legal team over the release of records related to the Nassar scandal. While a significant number of documents were initially provided to investigators, another batch of 6,000 records was withheld under attorney-client privilege until recently.
Despite the convictions of individuals like former gymnastics coach Kathie Klages for lying to investigators and charges against former Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon for misleading authorities, Nessel criticized the university for asserting attorney-client privilege over all the documents. She plans to make the records public, stating that the university was wrong in claiming privilege.
Nessel accused Michigan State of giving false hope to victims by withholding the records for so long and failing to provide substantive answers about the prolonged abuse. The ripple effects of the Nassar scandal have been far-reaching, with settlements reached by various organizations, including a $138 million agreement with the Justice Department for mishandling allegations against Nassar.
The saga has prompted changes in policies, with the internal watchdog at the Justice Department noting failures by the FBI in reporting some child sexual abuse claims to local authorities. Despite the lack of damning information in the recently disclosed documents, the search for accountability and understanding of how such abuse persisted for so long continues.
