Interim President John Engler listens to MSU Student Shawna Rowe as she shares another student's sexual assault story.
The MSU Board of Trustees will hold an open meeting on Thursday at 8 a.m. to discuss Interim President John Engler's future at the university.
The follows comments Engler made about survivors in an interview with The Detroit News Editorial Board, where he said they were “enjoying the spotlight." This prompted national coverage and criticism, including from Chair of the Board of Trustees Dianne Byrum, who told The Detroit News his comments are "ill advised."
Trustee Brian Mosallam previously made a motion to terminate Engler from his position "for failing to uphold the standards of conduct expected from a leader of this university” at a June board meeting. This came after Engler claimed Nassar survivor Rachael Denhollander would be getting a "kickback" from her attorneys for aiding in the "manipulation" of other survivors against the university.
The motion didn't pass, but both Mosallam and Byrum voted in support of it.
Following the announcement of the Thursday meeting, Mosallam tweeted, "John Engler's reign of terror is over."
A petition to fire Engler — created by Reclaim MSU — has reached over 1,757 signatures from the community as of Wednesday.
“Upon his appointment, Engler has brought more shame to a community trying to heal and move forward by sticking to a combative legal approach, fighting sexual assault survivors, and creating a culture of cronyism,” the petition said. “He has proven time and again that he is unfit to lead and unwilling to be held accountable for his actions.”
An agenda for the meeting was also released, and features only one agenda item on personnel action.
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