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MSU fires former U.S. gymnastics team physician after sexual misconduct allegations

September 20, 2016
<p>Hannah Administration Building on Aug. 29, 2015. Courtney Kendler/The State News</p>

Hannah Administration Building on Aug. 29, 2015. Courtney Kendler/The State News

Photo by Courtney Kendler | The State News

Updated Tuesday at 3:05 p.m.

MSU spokesperson Jason Cody confirmed that MSU has made the decision to fire MSU professor and doctor Larry Nassar as of Sept. 20.

"Larry Nassar was reassigned from his clinical and patient duties Aug. 30 immediately after the university first received notice of the allegations of sexual misconduct," Cody said in a statement. "Over the past week, the university received additional information that raised serious concerns about Nassar’s compliance with certain employment requirements."

Cody said that those requirements were put in place after the 2014 investigation on Nassar's conduct.

"Information was received that indicates those requirements were not consistently met," Cody said. "The university also learned Nassar was not forthcoming when questioned about other previous allegations."

Cody said investigations are still being conducted by MSU police and MSU's Office of Institutional Equity on allegations of sexual abuse.


Complaints are piling up on MSU faculty member and former USA Gymnastics physician Dr. Larry Nassar after two former athletes — one a former Olympian — filed sexual abuse lawsuits against him earlier last week.

Nassar, who was under investigation by MSU authorities for similar misconduct in 2014, was cleared of those allegations by MSU in 2014. MSU police also conducted an investigation and submitted their findings to the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office, and no charges were filed in 2014.

MSU spokesperson Jason Cody, whose office has been handling all questions related to Nassar, said MSU has received more complaints about Nassar’s alleged conduct. More investigations are currently underway, Cody said.

“What has happened over the past week is that MSU Police have continued to take additional complaints regarding Nassar,” Cody said. “They may not necessarily be tied to the university. (Nassar) worked at a club practice.”

Nassar worked with USA Gymnastics for 29 years.

MSU has various health team clinics. Nassar worked on one of these, so victims coming forth might not necessarily be “MSU people,” Cody said.

“It’s hard right now for me to give a number of how many complaints that are coming in,” Cody said. “This is an active investigation. We have to make decisions regarding whether we’re in the proper jurisdictions to look into things, where did the alleged events happen, all of that has to be considered. Our investigators with our special victims unit are vigorously reviewing complaints."

Once the allegations against Nassar were made public, steps were taken to temporarily relieve Nassar from his patient and clinical duties while investigations took place, Cody said. Nassar resumed all other university responsibilities, including teaching. Nassar is an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Radiology and teaches sports medicine in the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

However, Cody said this action is subject to change as investigations continue.

“The university is taking steps to evaluate whether additional personnel actions will be taken,” Cody said. 

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