MSU will retain an outside law firm to speak for Trustee George Perles in wake of a lawsuit accusing Perles of covering up ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse in 1992, the Lansing State Journal reports.
In the lawsuit, Erika Davis, a former MSU field hockey player, said Nassar drugged and raped her when she was 17 years old. Nassar videotaped the assault and Davis became pregnant, but later miscarried.
Davis said she reported the assault to multiple university employees including her field hockey coach Martha Ludwig, the MSU Police Department and Perles. Ludwig was in possession of a video of the assault at one point, but was forced by Perles to return the video.
Perles was the head football coach at MSU for twelve seasons between 1983 and 1994 and acted as athletic director from 1990 to 1992. Merrily Dean Baker, however, was the athletic director at the time of Davis’ report, according to the lawsuit.
Perles’ son Pat Perles said the accusations made against his father are false in an interview with The Detroit Free Press. Pat Perles said Davis’ case timeline doesn’t add up and "create(s) holes ... big enough for a truck to drive through."
Davis’ lawsuit names MSU, former Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine William Strampel, USA Gymnastics, Twistars Gymnastics Club, John Geddert, former director of SportsMedicine Jeffrey Kovan, retired MSU professor of clinical psychology Gary Stollak, Clinical Director of MSU SportsMedicine Douglas Dietzel and former MSU doctors Brooke Lemmen and Destiny Teachnor-Hauk as defendants.
Nassar received a 40 to 175-year sentence in Ingham County after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual misconduct. He is also serving another 60-year federal sentence on child pornography charges.
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