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Report: Nassar assaulted patients after MSU Title IX clearance, during MSUPD criminal investigation

December 20, 2017
Larry Nassar listens to the judge during the plea hearing on Nov. 29, 2017, at the Eaton County Friend of Court. Nassar pleaded guilty to three counts.
Larry Nassar listens to the judge during the plea hearing on Nov. 29, 2017, at the Eaton County Friend of Court. Nassar pleaded guilty to three counts. —
Photo by Matt Schmucker | The State News

Ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar continued to assault patients at MSU even after clearance from MSU's Title IX office, a 19-page report revealed Tuesday. Nassar assaulted patients while a criminal investigation through MSUPD was ongoing.

The report was first obtained by the Lansing State Journal through a public records request. According to Michigan Radio, the report was conducted in conjunction with the FBI in March.

A complaint against Nassar was made to MSU's Title IX office in 2014. It led to a criminal investigation by MSUPD. 

Nassar was cleared in the Title IX office investigation July 2014. As part of that clearance, Nassar was to follow guidelines that required him to have an MSU chaperone in the room during procedures "of anything close to a sensitive area," modifying procedures to reduce skin-to-skin contact and that anyone new in the practice would be "oriented to be sure they understand these requirements."

During the same timeframe, MSUPD conducted a criminal investigation that lasted until July 2015 when it was sent to the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office.

After clearance from the Title IX investigation, Nassar went back to practicing on July 30, 2014 — even though the criminal investigation through MSUPD was ongoing.

MSU can suspend any employee under criminal investigation, according to MSU spokesperson Jason Cody in an interview with the Lansing State Journal.

“It should be noted that at least twelve assaults have been reported that occurred after 7/30/2014,” the police report says, according to Michigan Radio. “Many of the sexual assaults occurred in examination rooms at MSU Sports Medicine and involved the lack of a chaperone during sensitive procedures and un-gloved skin-to-skin contact.”

Although MSUPD requested Nassar be charged with sexual assault, the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office declined to charge Nassar.

"The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office was never presented with the full range of evidence against Nassar. This evidence was submitted to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, which has also has jurisdiction over criminal charges under state law," current Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney Carol Siemon wrote in an email to the Lansing State Journal. Siemon's first term as Ingham's prosecutor began January 2017.

According to Michigan Radio, MSU employees interviewed for the investigation that would lead to the 19-page report saw red flags, but didn't think much of them.

A common theme among the employees interviewed was that Nassar often communicated with young patients via Facebook and that he had gotten "kicked off of Facebook" at one point.

Employees interviewed also said they either assumed or were told by Nassar he stopped working with USA Gymnastics on his own accord in 2015. USA Gymnastics fired Nassar due to complaints.

Nassar is accused of sexually abusing more than 140 women and girls, ranging from local gymnasts to Olympic athletes, under the guise of medical treatment.

He was arrested in December 2016 on charges of possessing “at least 37,000” images of child pornography to which he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the receipt, possession and destruction of child pornography.

Nassar pleaded guilty to a total of 10 first degree criminal sexual conduct charges in November 2017 — seven in Ingham County and three in Eaton County. His sentencing for each of these charges could range from a minimum of 25-40 years to life in prison. The Ingham County sentencing is scheduled to start Jan. 16, 2018, and the Eaton County sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2018.

Nassar is also a defendant in nine lawsuits, all of which also list MSU, MSU's board of trustees and USA Gymnastics as defendants.

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