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Michigan House: 'Absolutely no doubt' MSU failed to protect students

April 5, 2018
Ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar makes his appearance on the fourth day of his sentencing on Jan. 19, 2018 at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. (Nic Antaya | The State News)
Ex-MSU and USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar makes his appearance on the fourth day of his sentencing on Jan. 19, 2018 at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. (Nic Antaya | The State News) —

The Michigan House of Representatives released the findings from its inquiry into MSU's response to accusations of sexual abuse against ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar Thursday afternoon.

The inquiry, led by state Reps. Kim LaSata, R-79th, and Klint Kesto, R-39th, found MSU's response to be an "institutional failure" with multiple lapses in procedure, policy and culture, said LaSata, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, in a release.

“After reviewing the evidence, there is absolutely no doubt that Michigan State University failed to adequately protect students and patients on campus,” said Kesto, chair of the House Law and Justice Committee, in a release. “That is a failure to every survivor of sexual assault."

The legislature will be pursuing legislative reforms to protect individuals across Michigan from sexual assault, Kesto said in the release.

"We have worked hard to identify a variety of tailored reforms, through policy and our state budget, which will protect our children on campuses across Michigan moving forward," LaSata said in the release.

The  House inquiry received "thousands of pages" of documents related to Nassar's conduct from MSU.

House Speaker Tom Leonard appointed Kesto and LaSata to lead the inquiry on Jan. 19.

One of the key findings from the report found that from "2014 to the present, at least 243 survivors reported abuse by Larry Nassar to the MSU Police Department."

Stay with The State News for more information as this story develops.

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