He didn’t take questions at a press conference Saturday.
LANSING, MI – As Attorney General Bill Schuette on Saturday announced particulars about his investigation into Michigan State University and its handling of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal, questions still linger.
Schuette, during a press conference, named the investigative team led by former Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth, said he would investigate every corner of MSU’s handling of Nassar complaints and promised transparency.
AG Bill Schuette names investigative team, says ’no corner‘ of Michigan State off limits
But what he didn’t do Saturday was take any questions from the media, an uncharacteristic move for the self-described ‚very accessible‘ attorney general.
Nassar, a former famed sports medicine doctor at MSU, sexually assaulted girls and women who came to him for medical treatment, including elite Olympic athletes. He was sentenced Jan. 24 to 40-175 years in prison after than eight days of victim impact statements from 156 victims. He will be sentenced on three criminal sexual conduct charges in Eaton County in a hearing that starts this week.
Larry Nassar sentenced to 40 to 175 years for sexually assaulting patients
But many victims are casting blame on Michigan State and its leaders, whom they say ignored complaints about Nassar over decades.
Schuette, responding to calls from victims and the MSU Board of Trustees to open an investigation, said last week that he was doing so, but wanted to wait until after Nassar’s sentencing hearings were complete to announce more.
Below are several questions Schuette should answer now:
1) What is the scope of this investigation?
The investigation was clearly spurred by the Nassar case, but recent reports have uncovered allegations of possibly mishandling Title IX and questions regarding the overall handling of sexual assaults by the school’s football and basketball teams.
Schuette said the investigation would find out who knew what, when about Nassar’s abuse, and that the investigation would put a bright light on „every corner of the university.“ But it’s unclear if investigators will do that only with Nassar in mind, or looking for unrelated violations as well.
2) When did this investigation start?
Schuette held off on publicly announcing an investigation until Saturday, when he said it had been ongoing „for some time.“
Previously, he’d promised a „review“ of MSU’s involvement in the Nassar case but said he did not want to upstage the court testimony of victims. Last week, his office indicated he would talk about the MSU investigation after the sentencing in Eaton County, which takes place next week.
His press conference came earlier than that, although it’s not clear why. It’s also not clear how long the investigation has been going on. A press release says it „began in 2017“ but offers nothing more specific.
Schuette’s office refused to answer questions on whether or not an investigation was underway for weeks.
3) Will Schuette recuse himself if the investigation gets close to the football team?
Schuette’s 2015 book, Big Lessons From a Small Town, includes a glowing foreword from MSU Football Coach Mark Dantonio.
Again, it’s not clear what the scope of the investigation will be. But with Schuette promising to look at „every corner“ of the university, and with questions swirling about the handling of sexual assault cases within the athletic department, it’s not out of the question that Dantonio could be put under the microscope.
4) Where does the Flint water crisis fall in his priorities now?
During the press conference, Schuette said multiple times that this MSU investigation would be the department’s top priority.
„I’ve instructed my department this is priority one, this investigation,“ he said.
It’s unclear where that puts his Flint water prosecution, which had previously taken up much of his time, attention and public appearances. His department is still actively prosecuting people in connection with the case, including Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon.
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5) Will he seek to hold individual employees accountable?
One question victims have had is why their concerns – which they vocalized to university employees dating back to the late 1990s – were never sent up the chain or command or were dismissed.
Michigan law mandates some individuals report child abuse and neglect, but it’s not clear yet how applicable that law is to MSU’s involvement in the Nassar case. It’s one of several laws Michigan lawmakers are targeting to make stronger in the Nassar fallout. The university also has an internal reporting policy.
Schuette’s investigation is examining the university as a whole, but individuals that make up the whole could come under scrutiny as well.
6) Why involve the Michigan State Police?
Schuette relied entirely on the Michigan State University Police Department to conduct an investigation against Nassar, and allowed its chief to defend the appropriateness of the university police investigating the university at a press conference last year.
For this investiation, however, he is enlisted the help of the Michigan State Police.
MSP Chief Kriste Kibbey Etue said her department would dedicate resources to work on the criminal side the investigation.
Why not continue to work with MSU police? Has something changed in that relationship?
7) What is the projected cost of completing this investigation?
For the Flint water crisis investigation, Schuette sought appropriations from the state legislature. Similarly to that case, he has brough in a high-profile outside attorney to invesigate Michigan State.
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