Former Michigan State sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison last week.
With his former school engulfed in controversy following the Larry Nassar scandal, Magic Johnson called for reform at Michigan State.
“If anyone was aware of the sexual assault happening to women on the MSU campus from the office of the President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty & campus police, and didn’t say or do anything about it, they should be fired,” Johnson said in the first of a series of tweets Monday morning.
How the darkest week in Michigan State history unfolded
Nassar, who spent nearly two decades working as a sports medicine doctor at Michigan State, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday for seven counts of sexual assault. Prior to being sentenced, more than 150 women, including former Michigan State athletes, delivered victim impact statements against Nassar, who was also a team doctor for USA Gymnastics.
If anyone was aware of the sexual assault happening to women on the MSU campus from the office of the President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty & campus police, and didn’t say or do anything about it, they should be fired.
Cookie and I stand in support of the victims and their families as they embark on the road to recovery; and I support the movement to hold everyone involved accountable.
The roles of the new President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty, campus police and students will be to work together to create new policies and procedures to ensure this never happens again.
As a Spartan, I love MSU and want to work with Coach Izzo, the administration, and the students to be a part of the solution in any way that I can.
“(My wife) Cookie and I stand in support of the victims and their families as they embark on the road to recovery; and I support the movement to hold everyone involved accountable,” Johnson wrote.
Michigan State president Lou Anna K. Simon resigned Wednesday and athletic director Mark Hollis did the same on Friday. Michigan State vice president Bill Beekman on Friday was named acting president as the university begins a search for an interim president.
“The roles of the new President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty, campus police and students will be to work together to create new policies and procedures to ensure this never happens again,” Johnson wrote.
Hollis’ resignation came just hours before ESPN published a report questioning the university’s handling of complaints of sexual assault, violence and gender discrimination. It stated complaints were regularly handled by the athletic department or coaches and alleged football coach Mark Dantonio and basketball coach Tom Izzo failed to properly report complaints.
“As a Spartan,” Johnson wrote, “I love MSU and want to work with Coach Izzo, the administration, and the students to be a part of the solution in any way that I can.”
