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U.S. NEWS Thursday 17 May 2018
Michigan State agrees to pay $500M to settle Nassar claims

By DAVID EGGERT and ED be paid to current claim-
WHITE ants and $75 million will
Associated Press be set aside for any future
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — claims. Lawyers will also be
Michigan State University compensated out of the
agreed to pay $500 million $500 million pool.
to settle claims from more Michigan State was ac-
than 300 women and girls cused of ignoring or dis-
who said they were as- missing complaints about
saulted by sports doctor Nassar, some as far back
Larry Nassar in the worst as the 1990s. The school
sex-abuse case in sports had insisted that no one
history, officials announced covered up assaults, al-
Wednesday. though Nassar’s boss, for-
The deal surpasses the mer medical school dean
$100 million-plus paid by William Strampel, was later
Penn State University to charged with failing to
settle claims by at least 35 properly supervise him and
people who accused as- committing his own sexual
sistant football coach Jerry misconduct.
Sandusky of sexual abuse, Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty
though the Nassar agree- to molesting women and
ment involves far more vic- girls under the guise of In this Nov. 22, 2017 file photo, Dr. Larry Nassar, 54, appears in court for a plea hearing in Lansing,
tims. “We are truly sorry to treatment and was caught Mich.
all the survivors and their with child pornography. He body or a sheet. His clinic skating, rowing, softball, resignation of President Lou
families for what they have is serving three prison sen- was decorated with signed cheerleading, wrestling, Anna Simon on Jan. 24 and
been through, and we ad- tences that will likely keep photos of Olympic stars, diving, dance, and track athletic director Mark Hollis
mire the courage it has him locked up for life. bolstering his credentials and field. two days later. The fallout
taken to tell their stories,” More than 250 women to star-struck athletes and “This historic settlement has also pushed out many
said Brian Breslin, chairman and girls gave statements their families. came about through the leaders at the top of com-
of Michigan State’s gov- in court when Nassar was Olympic gold medalists bravery of more than 300 petitive gymnastics.
erning board. “We recog- sentenced in January and Jordyn Wieber, Aly Rais- women and girls who had The school has about
nize the need for change February. Since that time, man, Gabby Douglas and the courage to stand up 39,000 undergraduate stu-
on our campus and in our even more accusers have McKayla Maroney say they and refuse to be silenced,” dents. Its general fund bud-
community around sexual stepped forward, which were among Nassar’s vic- said John Manly, the lead get is $1.36 billion. Roughly
assault awareness and pre- accounts for the larger tims. attorney for the victims. $983 million comes from
vention.” number of people cov- Other cases involved par- The scandal rocked Michi- tuition and fees, and $281
It is not clear how much ered by the Michigan State ticipants in soccer, figure gan State, leading to the million is from the state.q
each victim will receive, al- agreement.
though the money will not Nassar’s assaults were
be divided equally. It is also mostly committed in Michi-
unclear where the money gan at his Lansing-area
will come from. University home, campus clinic and
spokeswoman Emily Guer- area gyms. But his accus-
rant said school leaders will ers also said he molested
now work on a way to pay them at a gymnastics-train-
the bill. ing ranch in Texas and at
Rachael Denhollander of national and international
Louisville, Kentucky, who in competitions. Nassar’s
2016 was the first woman to work far away from cam-
publicly identify herself as a pus was spelled out in his
victim, said the agreement employment contract with
“reflects the incredible Michigan State.
damage which took place During the sentencing
on MSU’s campus.” But she hearings, many accusers
said she still has not seen described an ultra-com-
any “meaningful reform” petitive gymnastics culture
at the university. in which authority figures
Nassar treated campus could not be questioned
athletes and scores of and Nassar was free to
young gymnasts at his abuse young patients year
Michigan State office, after year. They said they
building an international had little choice to see
reputation while working doctors other than Nas-
at the same time for USA sar, who was renowned
Gymnastics, which trains throughout the sport.
Olympians. He counted on his charm
The university and lawyers and reputation to deflect
for 332 victims announced any questions. He was so
the deal after negotiat- brazen that he sometimes
ing privately with the help molested patients in front
of a mediator. Under the of their parents, shield-
agreement, $425 million will ing the young girls with his