Interim MSU president to resign following Nassar comments

Interim Michigan State president John Engler tendered his resignation Wednesday, less than a week after saying that some victims of convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar are "enjoying" the "spotlight" they are in.

In his 11-page resignation letter, Engler said he would leave his post effective 9 a.m. on Jan. 23.

The university's board had scheduled a meeting for Thursday to discuss a "personnel action." While it was not known what that action was to be, the meeting was to come on the heels of an interview with The Detroit News during which Engler said:

"You've got people, they are hanging on and this has been ... there are a lot of people who are touched by this, survivors who haven't been in the spotlight. In some ways they have been able to deal with this better than the ones who've been in the spotlight who are still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition. And it's ending. It's almost done."

This was in relation to a fund the university recently revived to pay for the costs of counseling for the victims of Nassar, 55. Last January, Nassar was sentenced to 40-175 years in prison after sexually abusing more than 150 females while serving as a physician for Michigan State and for USA Gymnastics.

He also received a 60-year sentence for possession of child pornography in late 2017.

Engler said during the interview that the fund may not be for all victims, as he apparently believes the 332 claimants awarded a piece of the $425 million settlement don't need the money from the new fund.

"We are really thinking about that 172," Engler told The Detroit News. "The people who got the $425 million are probably OK."

The 172 is the number of claimants under consideration for another $75 million of the settlement set aside for future claimants.

"What's interesting is about half of those who seek help have already been in treatment before they came to the university," Engler added in the interview. "I was blown away by that number. I just hadn't thought about how many people might (have had) crises before coming to the university."

Engler, formerly the governor of Michigan, took over on Jan. 31, 2018, in place of former university president Lou Anna Simon, whose administration was strongly criticized for its response to the Nassar scandal.

--Field Level Media