Wednesday, May 1, 2024

MSU says transfer of Nassar documents to attorney general will occur in late February

February 2, 2024
The Board of Trustees during a meeting in the Hannah Administration Building on Oct. 27, 2023.
The Board of Trustees during a meeting in the Hannah Administration Building on Oct. 27, 2023.

MSU will release the thousands of long-withheld documents relating to the university’s handling of years of sexual abuse by disgraced ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in late February. 

Interim President Teresa Woodruff gave an update on the long-anticipated timeline at the Board of Trustees meeting Friday morning.

“Let us extend our unwavering compassion to survivors, ensuring they feel deeply supported through this process,” Woodruff said during her President’s Report.

The board unanimously voted to release the documents at its Dec. 15, 2023 meeting, ending its heavily criticized, years-long, withholding of the documents.

The previously-privileged documents include email and text communications to and from 20 MSU leaders and employees, records of internal complaints and investigations regarding Nassar, and personnel files of those who worked with and above Nassar during his time at MSU. 

Attorney General Dana Nessel said the move “was better late than never,” but that the board’s delay in releasing the documents means it is less likely "to yield the information that the public really needs.”

The documents will be redacted to remove information subject to privacy laws or covered by “third-party confidentiality agreements,” trustee and chair of Audit, Risk and Compliance committee Dan Kelly said in December.

“The university is in the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive trauma-informed plan that will support survivors who are impacted by the release of the documents,” Woodruff said. 

She said this plan will include the hiring of an individual to “facilitate and coordinate efforts between our campus partners,” which she said will be “instrumental in providing support to our survivor community.”

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

Discussion

Share and discuss “MSU says transfer of Nassar documents to attorney general will occur in late February” on social media.