MSU handling of Nassar case sub-par, victims deserve justice

In the twenty years that Larry Nassar was employed as a sports physician at Michigan State University (MSU) and the most trusted doctor in the United States Gymnastics (USAG) world, he sexually assaulted over two-hundred girls and young women with more coming forward each day. Now, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars in a federal prison. It is relieving to know that justice was served for Nassar, as he never deserves to walk outside of a prison again, but arguably more menacing are the organizations that stood behind him even as allegations began to surface. The top officials at USAG and MSU had multiple opportunities to stop this abuse. Why didn’t they?
The first recorded report of sexual abuse by Nassar dates back to 1997. A sixteen-year-old gymnast told her coach that Nassar assaulted her, the only response being that if she brought the allegation to light there would be ‘serious consequences’. In the following years, two other young women recall telling three other coaches, all insisting that it must have been legitimate medical treatment and that it was not to be discussed.
Jump forward a few years to 2014, MSU launched a formal investigation into Nassar after he was accused of assault once more. Shockingly, they cleared him and reinstated him as a doctor. It was not until after a federal investigation in 2016 that he was finally fired from MSU and charged with first degree sexual misconduct and child pornography.
After Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison, attention turned to the enablers of the misconduct. The president of the University was eventually forced to resign following pressure from state legislative leaders and the entire house of representatives, followed by their athletic director, gymnastics coach, and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Nassar was held accountable, although there is nothing anyone could do to give the victims the closure that they deserve. At the very least, there is the promise that he will be in prison. But the people who enabled this to happen for over two decades walk freely and make six figure salaries, doing everything in their power to hide from lawsuits and accusations.
In my opinion, the entire athletic program should be gutted. If the people in charge were capable of covering up years of abuse and refusing to take responsibility for their actions, there is nothing to suggest that they will not do it again. While some of the administration has stepped down, it is obvious that they only resigned due to mounting public pressure and not out of actual assumption of responsibility.
Until the remnants of the tragedy are gone, it will continue to thrive on the campus. While the scandal will rightfully stain MSU’s reputation, they could show their commitment to protecting survivors by turning over a new leaf. With their recent moves to dodge the dozens of lawsuits that are coming their way and attempts to lay low until the scandal presumably passes, they come off as nothing but cowardly. This is a storm that will not pass them by and they are surrounded by women who will not back away quietly.