Because of Larry Nassar, Michigan State has the most rapes reported in a year in campus safety report
DETROITMichigan State University set a record it wants no part of the most rapes reported by a university on its annual Clery Act report.
There wasa total of 1,013 rapes reported across all campuses, most attributed to Larry Nassar.
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That's a record for any higher education institution in one year, said S. Daniel Carter, president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses, who hasmonitoredClery Act reports since schools were required to start reporting crime stats in 1992. A decade ago, all campuses nationally reportedno more than 3,000 sexual assaults total, Carter said.
Nassar was a doctor at Michigan State University, as well as the team doctor for USA Gymnastics. He was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges. He faces a 40- to 175-year sentence issued in Ingham County, Michigan, and a 40- to 125-year sentence from Eaton County, Michigan, for sexual assaults. Those sentences will not begin until he finishes the federal sentence.
The university settled lawsuits by more than 300 survivors with a payment of $500 million. Other lawsuits are pending from more than 100 people.
Late last month, the university said in legal filings it shouldn't be held legally responsible for Nassar.
"Although Nassars actions were repugnant and merit the heavy criminal penalties imposed upon him, the law does not support Plaintiffs attempts to hold the MSU Defendants liable for his wrongs," the university said in a court filing of more than 100 pages, backed by nearly 900 pages of exhibits.
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Other major universities reportedlarge numbers after scandals involving doctors abusing and assaulting students.
"Ohio State University is facing a somewhat similar situation in the Dr. (Richard) Strauss case," Carter said. Strauss was a former wrestling team doctor at Ohio State.
"The University of Southern California is likewise bulk reporting incidents from their Dr. (George) Tyndall case," Carter said. Tyndall was a former campus gynecologist.
Last month, Michigan State was fined $4.5 million a record fine for its failures in the Nassar case, including violations of the Clery Act, by the federal Department of Education.
"What happened at MSU was abhorrent. ...So was the university's response to their crimes," U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said, referring to Nassar and his boss, William Strampel, former osteopathic college dean.
The report said the school must hire an outside law firm to review all sex assault case decisions made by the school's Title IX office and issue a report to the federal government. MSU's board and president must receive a regular report of all cases and decisions.
MSU must conduct a sweeping investigation into who knew what and didn't act onNassar orStrampel, who was convicted of criminal charges.
That includes former MSU President Lou Anna Simon, who facescriminal charges of lying to police in the Nassar investigation; former Provost June Youatt, who knew for years of sexual harassment claims against Strampel and cleared him; along with the associate vice president for academic human resources;employees of the Office of the General Counsel;and the former head coach of the women's gymnastics team.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Larry Nassar: Michigan State reported most rapes, safety report says
