Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Report claims Michigan State professor sexually harassed women over nearly two decades

June 25, 2019
<p>Beaumont Tower photographed on May 15, 2019.</p>

Beaumont Tower photographed on May 15, 2019.

Seven women have told investigators that Dr. Robert W. Wiseman, a physiology professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State, has made sexual comments to them, according to an investigation report.

Wiseman was suspended without pay for six weeks, from Feb. 22 to April 4. However, he is now back to teaching full time at MSU.

According to a report from the MSU Office of Institutional Equity, a woman said in 2002 that Wiseman told her and another woman, "Oh, your buttons are open" while staring at their chests. He proceeded to ask them, "Is the seat going to be wet when you get up?"

Kroll Associates, a firm that MSU hired to investigate sexual assault and harassment complaints, found that Wiseman engaged in "unwanted, persistent and pervasive" behavior. MSU and Kroll are no longer working together.

"I am concerned about comments recreated through the lens of several (redacted) women getting together with her and deciding I am 'creepy,'" Wiseman told investigators.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine has had issues with sexual assault and how the complaints were handled. Ex- MSU doctor Larry Nassar assaulted hundreds of women and was sentenced to prison for up to 175 years.

This month, William Strampel, previous dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was found guilty of misconduct in office and two counts of willful neglect of duty in relation to his role as Nassar's boss.

This past week, the MSU Board of Trustees announced an independent investigation into the university's handling of Nassar's abuse.

Read the report below.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:56 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26 to include the investigative report into complaints against Dr. Robert W. Wiseman.

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Report claims Michigan State professor sexually harassed women over nearly two decades” on social media.