Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon wanted to “personally” provide state lawmakers an overview of how the public institution is responding to the “issues surrounding the bad crimes committed by former MSU physician Larry Nassar”. If Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee had paid attention to any of the red flags in Larry Nassar’s behavior I never would have met him, I never would have been “treated” by him, and I never would have been abused by him.
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But a report by Kim Kozlowski of the Detroit News is finally bringing MSU’s role in this tragedy to light. Simon said she originally planned to steer clear of the sentencing hearing – expected to take at least a week – so as not to distract from the women who were telling their stories in court.
“They believed Larry Nassar over me”, she said, and it nearly destroyed the relationship between her and her parents. Lemke was a captain of the MSU gymnastics team for the 2017 season. Melissa Imrie told the judge she was assaulted in 1997, when she was 12, after breaking her tailbone. “I’ll watch the livestream.’ I said OK”.
And how does that young girl who has got this Olympic dream muster up the courage to tell her mom or dad or, even a bigger deal, to go to the leaders of the Gymnastics Federation and say, this is happening to me? We got this. Like, stop asking us questions. “Instead, I felt very shamed”.
A 2000 Olympian, Jamie Dantzscher, looked at Nassar and said, “How dare you ask any of us for forgiveness?” Benjoseph said kids should be able to say, “I don’t have to keep this a secret”.
“Dr. Nassar was not a doctor”, said the 2012 Olympic gold and silver medalist. “She thinks she’s going to the Olympics”.
Her daughter soon quit gymnastics, Markham said, and her life spiraled into bouts with drug problems and depression. “If I made a decision to pursue something, it was going to cast a burden over my family”. She dismissed it as “mumbo jumbo”.
In court this week, his accusers have recounted Nassar molesting them under the guise of performing therapeutic treatments.
Another athlete, track and cross country runner Christie Achenbach, told the News that Nassar “put his fingers up inside me” when she sought treatment for a hamstring injury. They were also shamed, embarrassed, and repeatedly discouraged from making any official complaints.
Lemke also addressed John Geddert, Kathie Klages and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, who were not in attendance. The decision came three days after Olympic champion Simone Biles expressed dismay at having to attend camps there, where Biles says she was sexually abused by a former national team doctor. It’s not clear if Simon was told of the nature of the crimes that were being investigated.
On Wednesday, the second day of the sexual abuse hearing, Aquilina had cut the day short so Nassar could meet with mental health services. He was allowed to continue treating patients, though with certain restrictions.
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And while she and her father eventually “did the best to patch up our relationship”, he died from suicide in 2016, Stephens said – and she suspects his guilt over the Nassar abuse was a factor.
