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Larry Nassar thread

Wally Fairway

By Wally Fairway
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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13512

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NPR podcast series about nassar: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510326/believed

such a weird case where this guy had so many people convinced that his assaults were valid medical practices for girls.  Parents were in the room while their daughters were being assaulted.  Many of the victims didn’t even realize they were victims until he was on trial. They all feel under the false belief that the MSU And Gymnastics team doc had to be legitimate  

in many ways, MSU is more liable in this case than Penn St was with Sandusky.  MSU believed Nassar over many victims and they even agreed that nassar had to change his behavior because he opened them up to lawsuits.  But they never checked in to see if Nassar was following their recommendations to follow proper medical procedures.  Everyone just assumed he was doing so.

you would even think that a school would look at themselves after the penn st scandal and review previous complaints.  Instead MSU turned the other way to not know.

This is only a guess but I think penn st got worse coverage in their scandal because it was related to football and paterno.  However MSU looks to be more guilty in this case especially given their inaction and number of victims.  Scandals involving homosexual behavior also get more attention and condemnation.  Not saying people don’t care about men abusing girls, I just don’t think it gets the same attention.

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Colonel Sanders

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Everytime I think MSU's interim president can't say something more stupid, this guy comes through. 

 

"You’ve got people, they are hanging on and this has been … there are a lot of people who are touched by this, survivors who haven’t been in the spotlight," Engler told The News Friday. "In some ways, they have been able to deal with this better than the ones who’ve been in the spotlight who are still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition. And it’s ending. It’s almost done.”

MSU trustee: Engler's comments on Nassar victims 'ill advised

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Baboontyme

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34 minutes ago, Colonel Sanders said:

Everytime I think MSU's interim president can't say something more stupid, this guy comes through. 

 

"You’ve got people, they are hanging on and this has been … there are a lot of people who are touched by this, survivors who haven’t been in the spotlight," Engler told The News Friday. "In some ways, they have been able to deal with this better than the ones who’ve been in the spotlight who are still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition. And it’s ending. It’s almost done.”

MSU trustee: Engler's comments on Nassar victims 'ill advised

Yep. Absurd and ridiculous statement. There is some sentiment from some MSU alums that I know (not this one, or Wally I don't think) that some of the victims are enjoying the spotlight. The Rivals board in particular is pretty disgusting. But that said, if you're Engler - even if you are  a fucking pig and think this way - how about you just SHUT THE FUCK UP and say something nice to not make yourself and your school continue to look like shit? Fucking asshole. 

To boot, 3 new members of the Board of Trustees were sworn in this month (3 women, all Democrats, one a former sexual assault victim so you think they might get it). They voted on Wednesday for who the new Chair of the Board would be. It was Mossallam (very pro victim and anti Engler) vs. Dianne Byrum. She supported Mossallam in calling for Engler's ouster but she's the "old school" candidate, supported by asshole Joel Ferguson, Engler and Engler's puppet on the board Melanie Foster. 

Nope, the vote went Byrum's way. One of the new trustees backed Byrum and a guy who was in Mossallam's corner had to flip because in the event of a deadlock, the previous Vice Chair becomes the new Chair. That was Joel Ferguson. 

Fucking clown show continues. I hope the new President is some extreme feminist or some shit just to counteract all of the dumbassery. I don't even care if she hates sports. Time for the Board and the President to stop embarrassing me and the rest of our alums.  

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Bama Chick

Bama Chick 28596

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Jesus. “Enjoying the spotlight”???

What the fuck?

And how exactly would this tone deaf asshole know that the victims who aren’t in the public eye “doing better”?

Maybe they’re doing worse and hiding under their covers suffering from depression. Maybe they’re in denial. Maybe they’re just numb and going through the motions.

No one knows, ya cockmunch.

Thank god for the “publicity hounds” and “attention seekers”.

Without them, these craven motherfuckers might have been able to keep this whole disgusting and disgraceful episode in the dark.

I hope one of those women whomps him in the face with her ESPY.

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Baboontyme

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I'm not sure anyone really cares but for the sake of posterity, some follow up. New BoT chairperson Dianne Byrum actually created a Twitter account and tweeted today to clap back at Engler's dumbass comments. Even though she was the 'insider' (i.e. not what a sane person would want) candidate in the 2 person race for Board chair, I guess this is at least slightly encouraging.

The real question here is what to do with Engler. He's on his way out as they find a new President for sure. I'm of the mindset that it doesn't make any sense to fire him in the meantime. He's a nuisance but a temporary one and I fear a ship with no captain even more than a ship with a pig for a captain. If this were Congress I would probably be saying the opposite but Engler is for real on borrowed time. His job was to get the settlement done and ensure MSU didn't lose State funding. Job done. 

Anyway, here's Byrum's tweet. I do like Denhollander's response. She's pretty awesome. Maybe she could be interim President. 

 

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Wally Fairway

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I have come to expect nothing from Engler, nothing but idiocy and statements that show how little he understands about how "this Nassar thing" impacts people's lives - with having virtually no expectation at all Engler still has found a way time and time again to find a new low in making public comments.

I was glad to see the BOT vote unanimously last week to create a new fund for the survivors of Nassar, to replace to one that Engler closed in December.
I have no doubt that the initial Trustee against the new fund was Joel "Turd" Ferguson - original author of the "this Nassar thing" comment.
https://statenews.com/article/2019/01/board-unanimously-approves-resolution-to-reopen-healing-assistance-fund

There has been so few steps forward by the Trustees, that is shocking. And if Byrum thinks that Engler doesn't speak for the BOT, then as Chairman I would think she should start the process to have him removed. Engler is an embarrassment to the University, and allowing him to continue as the Interim President is a stain on the BOT.

To touch on one of Baboon's points, Rachel Denhollander is one of the leading reasons that Nassar is behind bars, she was a driving force behind the Indianapolis newspaper investigation into allegations about Nassar and in the criminal investigations. She had nothing to gain from coming forward at the time that she did, but she was determined to push the process that Nassar had been able to avoid due to his recognition as a renowned sports doctor. Someone at MSU should be thanking her for her involvement rather than belittling her efforts.
The Nassar survivors that I know have started to move past this, however it is the comments made by Engler not Denhollander that rekindle their anger.

Sadly, it has become apparent to me, that MSU will not be able to move past this until Engler and the BOT is replaced, and even then we will have to wait to see how the new President and BOT address this stain on the University. 
 

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Wally Fairway

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MSU can't pay out settlements fast enough. Today they announce that Bob Young is no longer the University General Council. Young was hired by Interim President Engler, and signed to a contract through 6/1/2021 at $425,000/year guaranteed. So he gets over $1 million for leaving.

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2019/02/01/bob-young-out-michigan-states-general-counsel/2748653002/

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On Wednesday, the university released a U.S. Department of Education report that was highly critical of MSU's handling of sexual assault reports related to Nassar and campus-wide safety issues, saying the university's failures "may have posed an ongoing threat" to the campus community. 

The general counsel's office received the report in the middle of December, and as media outlets reported on the preliminary findings Wednesday, members of MSU Board of Trustees hadn't seen a copy.

Young sparred with William Forsyth — the former Kent County prosecutor who for several months led the Michigan Attorney General's Office investigation of MSU — over the release of university documents.

The two exchanged increasingly terse letters over two months, before the AG's Office sought a search warrant, which the university is still challenging. The central issue in their dispute was the university's assertion of attorney-client privilege and attorney work product privilege. 

Young told Forsyth that his pursuit of a waiver directly from MSU's Board of Trustees "brings shame upon you, the Attorney General and our legal profession that is expected to model and show respect for the Rule of Law."

Forsyth wrote back, telling Young, who served 18 years on the state Supreme Court, that he took the position that it's "shameful" to request a waiver of privilege due to Young's "lack of familiarity with the criminal investigatory process."

The good news not reported in the LSJ article, is that this is another person that MSU needed to get rid of as they were doing nothing to help the University move forward and improve how problems are handled and reported.

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Wally Fairway

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Looks like that $500 million dollar settlement might only be the first tranche of damages for MSU.

There were about 330 women who were part of the settlement, now an additional 160 million women may have claims that are not covered by the terms of that settlement. Of that $500 million, $425 was designated for the first group and $75 for victims who would later come forward.
That would average out to $1.2 million for each in the first group, and $400,000 for the later. I'm thinking that their lawyers might not think that is an equitable amount.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2019/02/08/second-wave-nassar-survivors-fight-acknowledgement/2794436002/

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Wally Fairway

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A couple of news items on the MSU front yesterday - hopefully the new President brings some changes to campus and MSU moves forward from what's happened there:

- MSU announced their new president yesterday - Samuel Stanley Jr, from Stony Brook
https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2019/05/28/samuel-stanley-michigan-state-president/1257742001/

 

- MSU also settled 2 Title IX lawsuits - a classic tale of she said/he said. Former MSU (and Houston Texan) WR Keith Mumphrey had a coed accuse him of sexual assault. She claimed to have been drunk and said no to having sex, he says she wasn't drunk and initiated having sex but got pissed because he insisted on using a condom. No criminal charges were filed, but she filed a complaint and the school (allegedly) mishandled the investigation, found Mumphrey guilty, banned him from campus, which got him released by the Texans and made it so he couldn't finish his coursework for his degree. She also filed a separate lawsuit that I've seen reported was settled, where she claimed MSU allowed Mumphrey back on campus even while banned.
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2019/05/29/keith-mumphery-michigan-state-houston-texans/1245983001/

 

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C-Man

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On 3/27/2018 at 7:05 AM, Wally Fairway said:

I feel compelled to update

William Strampel, former Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Larry Nassar's boss, was arrested yesterday. They have not released the charges, but have confirmed that he is in the county jail.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/larry-nassar-william-strampel-arrest/460785002/

I will try not to rehash old items, but I will also try not to brush anything away either.

 

On 3/27/2018 at 10:38 AM, Wally Fairway said:

There is more to Strampels arrest story - the Detroit New, the other local fish wrap is reporting 4th degree sexual misconduct (not sure what that is) and that porn and videos of Nassar treatments were found on his computer.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/william-strampel-arrest-larry-nassar-msu/33310095/

It should be noted that a year ago there were hundreds of videos on youtube that showed Nassar performing various diagnostics and treatments. IMO this was all part of his cover that he used to hide his sexual assaults.

Strampel gets a year. Could've gotten as much as five.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/27340567/ex-msu-dean-gets-jail-neglect-misconduct

Quote

LANSING, Mich. -- A former Michigan State University dean with oversight of now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar was ordered Wednesday to serve up to a year in jail after being convicted of neglect of duty and misconduct in office that stemmed from a charge he sexually harassed students.

William Strampel learned his fate during a hearing in a Lansing courtroom, nearly two months after the College of Osteopathic Medicine's ex-dean was convicted of those charges. He was acquitted of the more serious criminal sexual conduct charge.

Strampel, 71, faced up to five years in prison on the felony misconduct conviction, resulting from accusations he used his public office to sexually harass, demean and proposition students who met with him to discuss academic issues.

He also was convicted of willfully neglecting a duty to monitor Nassar after protocols were put in place requiring that a third person be present in the exam room for sensitive procedures and limiting skin-to-skin contact -- misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in prison.

Defense attorney John Dakmak recommended probation, citing concerns about his client's health and service to the school, state and nation. Dakmak said Strampel was tough on students but rooted "for the underdog," and his time leading the medical school included increasing admission of women and their faculty participation.

Strampel spoke only briefly, saying he did not want to drag out the proceedings.

"The jury has spoken and we're not hiding from that," Dakmak said. "We understand he has been found guilty. To answer for that doesn't mean we disregard a life ... of service."

During Strampel's trial, multiple former medical students testified about sexual comments and innuendo he made during one-on-one meetings -- saying they did not report the inappropriate behavior because of the power he had over their futures in medicine. They accused him of staring at their breasts. Women who worked as model patients during exams also testified about unprofessional and sexual comments.

Investigators said Strampel's work computer contained photos of nude and semi-nude young women with Michigan State logo piercings or clothing.

Student Leah Jackson told the court Wednesday that Strampel made sexually suggestive remarks during their first meeting.

"Why was he so confident he could get away with it?" Jackson said. "It makes me wonder how many other people he had done this to. He was supposed to protect us and he chose to betray us."

Strampel was the first person charged after Michigan's attorney general launched an investigation in 2017 into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement she appreciated the court's "commitment to ensuring justice in this case was served."

"While Mr. Strampel's sentence will never give back the years of pain and suffering his victims had to endure, the persistence of these courageous survivors made certain that he could no longer hide behind the title he once held to escape the reach of justice," Nessel said.

 

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C-Man

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On 3/27/2018 at 7:05 AM, Wally Fairway said:

I feel compelled to update

William Strampel, former Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Larry Nassar's boss, was arrested yesterday. They have not released the charges, but have confirmed that he is in the county jail.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/larry-nassar-william-strampel-arrest/460785002/

I will try not to rehash old items, but I will also try not to brush anything away either.

 

On 3/27/2018 at 10:38 AM, Wally Fairway said:

There is more to Strampels arrest story - the Detroit New, the other local fish wrap is reporting 4th degree sexual misconduct (not sure what that is) and that porn and videos of Nassar treatments were found on his computer.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/william-strampel-arrest-larry-nassar-msu/33310095/

It should be noted that a year ago there were hundreds of videos on youtube that showed Nassar performing various diagnostics and treatments. IMO this was all part of his cover that he used to hide his sexual assaults.

Strampel gets a year. Could've gotten as much as five.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/27340567/ex-msu-dean-gets-jail-neglect-misconduct

Quote

LANSING, Mich. -- A former Michigan State University dean with oversight of now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar was ordered Wednesday to serve up to a year in jail after being convicted of neglect of duty and misconduct in office that stemmed from a charge he sexually harassed students.

William Strampel learned his fate during a hearing in a Lansing courtroom, nearly two months after the College of Osteopathic Medicine's ex-dean was convicted of those charges. He was acquitted of the more serious criminal sexual conduct charge.

Strampel, 71, faced up to five years in prison on the felony misconduct conviction, resulting from accusations he used his public office to sexually harass, demean and proposition students who met with him to discuss academic issues.

He also was convicted of willfully neglecting a duty to monitor Nassar after protocols were put in place requiring that a third person be present in the exam room for sensitive procedures and limiting skin-to-skin contact -- misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in prison.

Defense attorney John Dakmak recommended probation, citing concerns about his client's health and service to the school, state and nation. Dakmak said Strampel was tough on students but rooted "for the underdog," and his time leading the medical school included increasing admission of women and their faculty participation.

Strampel spoke only briefly, saying he did not want to drag out the proceedings.

"The jury has spoken and we're not hiding from that," Dakmak said. "We understand he has been found guilty. To answer for that doesn't mean we disregard a life ... of service."

During Strampel's trial, multiple former medical students testified about sexual comments and innuendo he made during one-on-one meetings -- saying they did not report the inappropriate behavior because of the power he had over their futures in medicine. They accused him of staring at their breasts. Women who worked as model patients during exams also testified about unprofessional and sexual comments.

Investigators said Strampel's work computer contained photos of nude and semi-nude young women with Michigan State logo piercings or clothing.

Student Leah Jackson told the court Wednesday that Strampel made sexually suggestive remarks during their first meeting.

"Why was he so confident he could get away with it?" Jackson said. "It makes me wonder how many other people he had done this to. He was supposed to protect us and he chose to betray us."

Strampel was the first person charged after Michigan's attorney general launched an investigation in 2017 into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement she appreciated the court's "commitment to ensuring justice in this case was served."

"While Mr. Strampel's sentence will never give back the years of pain and suffering his victims had to endure, the persistence of these courageous survivors made certain that he could no longer hide behind the title he once held to escape the reach of justice," Nessel said.

 

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C-Man

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On 3/27/2018 at 7:05 AM, Wally Fairway said:

I feel compelled to update

William Strampel, former Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Larry Nassar's boss, was arrested yesterday. They have not released the charges, but have confirmed that he is in the county jail.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/larry-nassar-william-strampel-arrest/460785002/

I will try not to rehash old items, but I will also try not to brush anything away either.

 

On 3/27/2018 at 10:38 AM, Wally Fairway said:

There is more to Strampels arrest story - the Detroit New, the other local fish wrap is reporting 4th degree sexual misconduct (not sure what that is) and that porn and videos of Nassar treatments were found on his computer.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/26/william-strampel-arrest-larry-nassar-msu/33310095/

It should be noted that a year ago there were hundreds of videos on youtube that showed Nassar performing various diagnostics and treatments. IMO this was all part of his cover that he used to hide his sexual assaults.

Strampel gets a year. Could've gotten as much as five.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/27340567/ex-msu-dean-gets-jail-neglect-misconduct

Quote

LANSING, Mich. -- A former Michigan State University dean with oversight of now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar was ordered Wednesday to serve up to a year in jail after being convicted of neglect of duty and misconduct in office that stemmed from a charge he sexually harassed students.

William Strampel learned his fate during a hearing in a Lansing courtroom, nearly two months after the College of Osteopathic Medicine's ex-dean was convicted of those charges. He was acquitted of the more serious criminal sexual conduct charge.

Strampel, 71, faced up to five years in prison on the felony misconduct conviction, resulting from accusations he used his public office to sexually harass, demean and proposition students who met with him to discuss academic issues.

He also was convicted of willfully neglecting a duty to monitor Nassar after protocols were put in place requiring that a third person be present in the exam room for sensitive procedures and limiting skin-to-skin contact -- misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in prison.

Defense attorney John Dakmak recommended probation, citing concerns about his client's health and service to the school, state and nation. Dakmak said Strampel was tough on students but rooted "for the underdog," and his time leading the medical school included increasing admission of women and their faculty participation.

Strampel spoke only briefly, saying he did not want to drag out the proceedings.

"The jury has spoken and we're not hiding from that," Dakmak said. "We understand he has been found guilty. To answer for that doesn't mean we disregard a life ... of service."

During Strampel's trial, multiple former medical students testified about sexual comments and innuendo he made during one-on-one meetings -- saying they did not report the inappropriate behavior because of the power he had over their futures in medicine. They accused him of staring at their breasts. Women who worked as model patients during exams also testified about unprofessional and sexual comments.

Investigators said Strampel's work computer contained photos of nude and semi-nude young women with Michigan State logo piercings or clothing.

Student Leah Jackson told the court Wednesday that Strampel made sexually suggestive remarks during their first meeting.

"Why was he so confident he could get away with it?" Jackson said. "It makes me wonder how many other people he had done this to. He was supposed to protect us and he chose to betray us."

Strampel was the first person charged after Michigan's attorney general launched an investigation in 2017 into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement she appreciated the court's "commitment to ensuring justice in this case was served."

"While Mr. Strampel's sentence will never give back the years of pain and suffering his victims had to endure, the persistence of these courageous survivors made certain that he could no longer hide behind the title he once held to escape the reach of justice," Nessel said.

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Wally Fairway

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22 hours ago, C-Man said:

 

Strampel gets a year. Could've gotten as much as five.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/27340567/ex-msu-dean-gets-jail-neglect-misconduct

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks

I've heard that he went directly to jail, he did not pass go, he did not collect $200.
As much as I think that he deserves more that 1 year, most for his own acts plus for covering Nassar. From what I've heard he will have a much more difficult time staying in the local lockup than he would at a prison. 
I'm a believer in people reforming, but this guy deserves what he got plus 10 years. He didn't create the monster that is Larry Nassar, but he could have stopped him long before Rachel Denhollender came into the picture. 

On a side note, the former MSU Womens Gymnastics coach had pretrial hearings and her attorneys asked for the judge to dismiss the case. Yesterday she was held over for her trial; again she had athletes come to her years ago and she did nothing to report it or investigate the information.
https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2019/08/07/kathie-klages-larry-nassar-msu-michigan-state-gymnastics/1933902001/

 

Next up US Olympic coach and owner of the local gymnastics gym and competition team - John Geddert, there was a settlement earlier this year with insurance
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/26596680/gymnastics-club-settles-nassar-suit-21m

 

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Wally Fairway

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14 hours ago, Genco said:

Klages Found Guilty

The video accompanying the article is worth the 8 minutes of your time.

Hope she gets the sentence she deserves, as she may have been one of the first people in a position of authority who was notified and should have reported Nassar. Who knows, but it could be that his reign of terror was stopped a decade earlier.

And on the news front, and not good news in this case.

William Strampel is set to be released from jail earlier than serving his full sentence.

https://www.wilx.com/content/news/Former-MSU-Dean-William-Strampel-to-be-released-from-jail-early-567442701.html
 

Quote

INGHAM COUNTY, MI (WILX) -- Former Michigan State University dean William Strampel is set to be released from jail early.

Strampel is set to be released from the Ingham County Jail on April 3, 2020, after serving eight months of the one year sentence he was given last summer.

 

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Wally Fairway

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Just to show there is so much blame in this it is almost unbelievable, and yet this doesn't lessen the guilt of MSU and USA Gymnastics and the others already convicted. But the fucking FBI sat on information that they had for over a year.

And I'll like the prime source for the best reporting on this story - the Indianapolis Star
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/investigations/2021/07/14/feds-critical-fbi-delay-nassar-case/7966812002/

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Officials with the Indianapolis FBI office made false statements, failed to respond for months leading to more than 100 other gymnasts being sexually abused and exhibited "extremely poor judgment" in the handling of 2015 allegations against longtime USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, according to a stinging rebuke Wednesday from the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The report found that W. Jay Abbott, then the Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis FBI office, and another unnamed agent made false statements and omitted important information in a 2017 report, then lied to inspector general investigators looking into the report. Abbott also provided "materially false statements" during interviews "to minimize errors made by the Indianapolis Field Office." 

The report added Abbott violated ethics guidelines while negotiating for a job with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee during the investigation.

“Mr. Abbott has received and reviewed a copy of the report," Josh Minkler, legal counsel for Abbott, who retired in 2018, said in a statement. "Mr. Abbott thanks the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who brought Larry Nassar to justice. Mr. Abbott hopes the courageous victims of Nassar’s horrible crime find peace.”

Nassar continued working with athletes for more than a year while the investigation languished. The report said that "according to civil court documents, 70 or more young athletes were allegedly sexually abused under the guise of medical treatment" during that time. However, an attorney for survivors said Nassar molested at least 120 more women and children.  

Nassar's reign of sexual abuse wasn't stopped until the allegations were publicly exposed in September 2016 by an IndyStar investigation. He is now serving a more than 100-year sentence. 

"It's obvious that the FBI failed survivors in all of this," said Nassar survivor Grace French, the founder and president of The Army of Survivors. "They put financial gain and the possibility of an opportunity for future employment in front of athletes, of children, of survivors — and that's incredibly disappointing to me,”

French said she grew up thinking that people in positions of authority, such as the FBI, were there to help protect her and others. "That was always my understanding," she said. "But I've come to realize, over and over again as I'm dealing with this drama myself, that that's not the case."

She called the FBI's actions "just another blow" for survivors.

While the report heavily criticized the FBI's Indianapolis field office, it cited troubling missteps and failures by a total of four agency divisions, including Indianapolis as well as those in Detroit, Los Angeles and Portland, Maine. The initial report about Nassar was originally made in 2015 with the Indianapolis office.

This is the most stinging rebuke of the FBI's work since 2019. The Indianapolis office did not comment. Instead, it referred questions to the national office, which said it is implementing changes. 

The report's release comes as the U.S. women's gymnastics team travels to Japan for the delayed summer Olympic Games, which begin next week in Tokyo. On that team is Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, who has identified herself as a victim of Nassar and has expressed frustration over the handling of the case. 

John Manly, an attorney for more than 250 Nassar survivors, and two U.S. senators are now calling for a criminal investigation and charges in light of the new revelations. 

Advocacy group Child USA said the report isn't about "one bad apple or one sexual abuser." 

"It’s about the entire system, one that is failing to protect child athletes," Child USA CEO Marci Hamilton said. "The FBI’s report is consistent with everything we know: that this was a massive systemic failure.”

Indianapolis FBI dragged its feet

Senior officials in the FBI Indianapolis Field Office "failed to respond to allegations of sexual abuse of athletes by former USA Gymnastics physician Lawrence Gerard Nassar with the urgency that the allegations required," the inspectors general's office said in a statement after the report was released Wednesday.

The Indianapolis officials didn't respond for 8 months, according to the report. The FBI said the unnamed special agent has been reassigned pending the completion of an internal FBI investigation.

"We also found that the FBI Indianapolis Field Office made fundamental errors when it did respond to the allegations, failed to notify the appropriate FBI field office (the Lansing Resident Agency) or state or local authorities of the allegations, and failed to take other steps to mitigate the ongoing threat posed by Nassar."

FBI Larry Nassar report:Read the full report on the FBI's handling of Larry Nassar gymnastics abuse

During the course of this investigation, the OIG interviewed more than 60 witnesses, several on more than one occasion. It collected over 1.5 million documents, including FBI interview reports, agent notes, as well as text messages and emails. The office also obtained records from private parties such as USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee. 

Among those documents was a thumb drive containing videos and presentations of Nassar's purported medical techniques that the Indianapolis Field Office received from USA Gymnastics officials. 

Indianapolis FBI agents lied 

The inspector general found that as the FBI's handling of the Nassar case came under scrutiny in 2017 and 2018 from the public, Congress, media and the FBI headquarters, the Indianapolis officials did not take responsibility for their failures. 

"Instead, they provided incomplete and inaccurate information to make it appear that they had been diligent in responding to sexual abuse allegations," the OIG said in its statement released Wednesday. 

That includes efforts by Abbott to cover up his failings by attempting to add a document to Lansing's case file on Nassar, according to the report. 

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), who were briefed by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz on the report Wednesday, are now pushing for Congressional hearings on the details shared in the report. They questioned why criminal charges were not pursued against FBI agents, including those in Indianapolis, who made false statements during the Inspector General investigation. 

"The Department of Justice now needs to decide whether it's going to be yet another institution that fails survivors, or if it's going to enforce some measure of accountability," Blumenthal said during a press conference. "On its own, Congress has to make sure that there is accountability, and that's why I believe that next steps have to include a Congressional hearing."

He called the report "absolutely chilling."

"(It's) truly a gut punch to anyone who cares about effective law enforcement," Blumenthal said. "There has to be some measure of accountability enforced for the failure to properly pursue the investigation by the FBI and indeed the possible cover up that may have occurred.”

Moran echoed those thoughts during Wednesday's joint press conference, saying the FBI's handling of the accusations was "woefully inadequate." 

"It is mind boggling. It's inexplainable to me," Moran said. "I don't understand how an FBI agent, an enforcer of the law, a person who takes an oath to support the law, conducted themselves in a way that was so damaging, certainly to justice, but also to the individuals."

Massive system failure

The Indianapolis FBI Office, which took the brunt of the criticism, would not comment and instead referred requests to the national office. In a written response issued after the report was released, the FBI said:

“As the Inspector General made clear in today’s report, this should not have happened. The FBI will never lose sight of the harm that Nassar’s abuse caused.  The actions and inactions of certain FBI employees described in the Report are inexcusable and a discredit to this organization. The FBI has taken affirmative steps to ensure and has confirmed that those responsible for the misconduct and breach of trust no longer work FBI matters.  

"Prior to today, the FBI initiated improvements to make sure that serious allegations, such as these, are promptly shared with our law enforcement partners and within the FBI. As a continuation of these efforts, the FBI is fully committed to implementing all of the recommendations made by the Inspector General.  

"We will take all necessary steps to ensure that the failures of the employees outlined in the Report do not happen again.” 

More specifically the bureau said that FBI Director Chris Wray had launched a review that will clarify requirements to document and retain complaints regarding sexual abuse and sexual assault.

FBI policy also will be amended to mandate 30-day status checks on complaints involving sexual abuse and assault complaints to determine if further investigation is warranted. Wray also has ordered additional training in dealing with such victims, especially child victims.

More specific findings cited by the inspector general included:

  • Officials in the Indianapolis Field Office failed to formally document a July 28, 2015, meeting with USA Gymnastics during which the FBI first received the allegations against Nassar; failed to properly handle and document receipt and review of relevant evidence; failed to document until February 2017 an interview of a gymnast that was conducted on September 2, 2015, during which the gymnast alleged sexual assault by Nassar; and failed to transfer the Nassar allegations to the FBI Lansing Resident Agency, where venue most likely would have existed for potential federal crimes.
  • Abbott and an unidentified Indianapolis Field Office Supervisory Special Agent made false statements in an interview summary drafted in February 2017, 17 months after the interview took place, and omitted material information.  The special agent made materially false statements when twice questioned by the OIG about the victim interview. Abbott also made materially false statements during his OIG interviews to minimize errors made by the Indianapolis Field Office.

The report is the inspector general's most stinging rebuke of the FBI's work since 2019, when investigators found systemic problems with how the bureau investigates American citizens suspected of working on behalf of foreign powers.

The inspector general's office found during that investigation that agents made "so many basic and fundamental errors" in applications to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser as part of an investigation into possible ties between Russia and the former president's campaign. 

What this means for Larry Nassar victims

Despite the report's critical take on the FBI's actions and inaction, attorney Manly, who represents 250 Nassar survivors, called the report a “whitewash” and a “disgrace.” He said it was “despicable” because no one in the FBI was criminally charged, and said he will ask the White House and the Justice Department to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate criminal charges.

“I am beside myself, and the families of the victims will be too,” said Manly. “This reeks of collusion and corruption. This gives the green light for every FBI agent to do what these four agents in Indianapolis did ... You have multiple FBI agents lying to everyone and at the same time Abbott is talking about taking a job,” with the U.S. Olympic Committee, Manly said. “He belongs in prison.”

Manly said while the FBI sat on the investigation, 120 women were molested between July 2015 and when Nassar was exposed. He added that he is exploring whether it is possible to sue the FBI and the agents personally.

The report also found "Abbott violated FBI policy and exercised extremely poor judgment under federal ethics rules when he, without prior authorization, communicated with Penny about a potential job opportunity with the U.S. Olympic Committee, an entity with which Penny had professional connections." It said those discussions occurred "while the two continued to discuss the allegations against Nassar and while Abbott took an active role in conversations about the FBI’s public statements regarding USA Gymnastics’ handling of those allegations."

Steve Penny is the former president of Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics. He first reported the allegations against Nassar to Abbott in July 2015. 

During the FBI’s initial steps in the investigation, Penny and Abbott discussed the possibility of Abbott becoming the U.S. Olympic Committee’s chief of security after his retirement from the FBI, according to emails. In 2018, Penny's attorney Edith Matthai confirmed the conversation took place, but told IndyStar "any suggestion that Steve had the conversation with Abbott in order to impact the FBI investigation is false and defamatory."

The inspector general statement said that "Abbott should have known — and we found that he in fact did know — that this conduct would raise questions regarding his impartiality. Further, Abbott applied for the position with the U.S. Olympic Committee, and then falsely denied that he had done so when questioned by the OIG on two separate occasions." 

Larry Nassar, 54, appeared in court for a plea hearing in Lansing, Mich., on Nov. 22, 2017. Nasser, a former sports doctor, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault.
 

History of the investigation

The inspector general's investigation began in 2018, following an internal FBI review of the delay before agents opened a formal investigation into the complaints raised in June 2015 by elite-level gymnasts, including Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols.

Nassar was ultimately charged and convicted of child sexual abuse in Michigan state court. He also pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges that spun out of the investigation by police at Michigan State University.

The FBI's delay in investigating the 2015 allegations has long been a point of contention for survivors. In June 2020, a group sent a letter to the justice department asking why it had not released its report on the FBI’s handling of the case.

“It is clear that the FBI failed to protect our nation’s finest athletes and many other vulnerable children and young women from a vicious sexual predator," said the letter to Michael Horowitz, the Inspector General, that was signed by more than 120 Nassar survivors. "But we still do not know who exactly in the FBI participated in the cover up and whether misconduct reached into the higher ranks of the Justice Department.”

Among those signing the letter were Olympic gold medalists Biles, Raisman, Jordyn Wieber and Madison Kocian, plus NCAA champion Nichols. Nichols was the first gymnast to report Nassar to USA Gymnastics and was the central character in the 2020 Netflix documentary Athlete A.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said it appreciates the OIG "for conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation" into the matter. 

"It is essential that athletes, parents, coaches, and others know that law enforcement will promptly and thoroughly investigate issues of abuse," the Committee said in a Wednesday statement. The group added that it has taken extensive steps to combat sexual abuse, implementing "significant reforms" in response to an exhaustive investigation by an independent law firm.

Nassar is serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges in 2017. He also faces 40 to 125 years on the state sex charges in Michigan. More than 500 women and girls have now alleged they were sexually assaulted by Nassar, a doctor of osteopathic medicine who also taught and worked at a sports medicine clinic at Michigan State University while serving as the USA Gymnastics team doctor.

Penny was forced to resign in 2017 after it was revealed he waited about five weeks to inform the FBI of the initial allegations USA Gymnastics had received about Nassar on June 17, 2015.

Kaitlin Lange, John Tuohy, Kevin Johnson, Kristine Phillips and Marisa Kwiatkowski contributed to this report. 

Contact Tim Evans at 317-444-6204 or tim.evans@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim.

 

and I would like to give a shout out to Rachael Denhollendar, for being the person who forced this into the public eye and continues to do so

 

 

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Harrison Bergeron

Harrison Bergeron 1798

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12 minutes ago, Cajun said:

The FBI needs to be completely dismantled.  What a collection of losers.

Since 2008 it's basically been weaponized against political opponents Gestapo-style. When you stop hiring the best and brightest and start filling out the cover of a community college brochure it is not shocking junior college results follow.

  • Hook 'Em 3
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