Ex- MSU and USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar listens to Judge Cunningham on the third day of sentencing on Feb. 5, 2018 in the Eaton County courtroom. Nassar faces three counts of criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County.
Disgraced ex-Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed multiple times Sunday during an altercation with another inmate at the Florida prison where he is serving an effective life sentence, according to an Associated Press report citing two anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter.
Officials at the prison and the federal agency overseeing it would not confirm the report, citing a policy of not discussing the condition of individual inmates.
The prison did however release a statement to The State News confirming that an inmate was assaulted in the prison where Nassar is serving his sentence at the time of the reported stabbing. Staff “immediately initiated life-saving measures” and the inmate was later taken to a local hospital for “further treatment and evaluation,” according to the statement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified and an internal investigation is ongoing.
Both of the two officers overseeing Nassar’s unit were working overtime shifts during the assault. One of them was on their third straight shift, according to one of the Associated Press’ sources.
Nassar, who prosecutors described as “the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history,” abused patients at Michigan State University for years before being sentenced in 2018. In victim impact statements and media interviewers, many survivors said they reported his abuse to coaches, trainers, and officials, but nothing was done.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel attempted to investigate how and why MSU failed to act on reports of Nassar’s abuse for so long. But, her efforts were thwarted by the university board’s refusal to release key documents which they argue are protected by attorney client privilege.
Her most recent request for the documents in April – which include internal reports, university investigations and emails between officials about Nassar – was prompted by MSU board chair Rema Vassar, who Nessel says contacted her office to ask that she try to reopen the investigation.
But, at a board meeting days later, Vassar declined Nessel’s request, saying the board privately decided not to waive privilege over the documents.
After the vote, Nessel told The State News that she had “literally no idea” why the board would reject the request after asking for it in the first place. Vassar did not respond to requests for comment about the dispute.
Public commenters at the meeting and protesters on campus days later criticized both the board's decision to withhold the documents and lack of a public vote on the matter.
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