Manly, Stewart & Finaldi: Michigan State University Report Details Sexual Abuse By Dr. Larry Nassar

IRVINE, Calif., March 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The final investigative report by Michigan State University's Office of Institutional Equity (Title IX) released Friday March 17^th validates claims of sexual abuse and assault suffered by former gymnast Rachael Denhollander by former MSU physician Dr. Larry Nassar.  Click here for copy of report.

The report by the investigator comes more than 2 1/2 years after another Title IX investigation by MSU involving similar allegations against Nassar cleared him and allowed him to continue practicing medicine at the university. It is alleged that Nassar abused dozens of additional women and girls until he was fired by the University on September 18, 2016.

Rachael Denhollander's Title IX investigation, opened on September 1, 2016, was the second the university started about Nassar.

Following a review of Ms. Denhollander's medical records and interviews with a number of witnesses, including Dr. Nassar, the report concluded, "Considering all of the evidence provided, given the consistent statements made by Claimant Denhollander and the witnesses, and statements from other Claimants, OIE (Office of Institutional Equity) finds the Respondent's (Dr. Nassar) denial to be unpersuasive where there is corroborating evidence to support Claimant Denhollander's allegations ..."

In an interview conducted by the University's investigator Ms. Denhollander said, "I did not report because I was 100% sure I would not be believed. If I had even the slightest hope of it, I would have reported. But I was very, very certain I would not be believed, and my greatest fear was that he would be empowered to continue if I had tried and failed."

Since Ms. Denhollander filed her complaint last September, more than 100 women have come forward and reported their own abuse at the hand of Dr. Nassar.

Alleged victims of Dr. Nassar have spoken out on national news programs including CBS 60 Minutes and every major national news outlet.

"There should be a criminal child endangerment investigation regarding why the 2014 investigation by MSU cleared Nassar," said attorney John Manly, who represents Denhollander and more than 70 others suing MSU, Nassar and USA Gymnastics.

"If the university could figure out in 2017 that Nassar's 'treatment' of young women and girls was sexual assault, why couldn't they figure it out in 2014? I think that's a very damning fact for them," said Manly.

In November 2016, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette charged Nassar with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13. The charges allege that Nassar repeatedly assaulted a girl between 1998 and 2005, beginning when she was six-years-old.

In December 2016, Nassar was arrested on Federal child pornography charges. The two count indictment states that Nassar possessed "thousands of images of child pornography." FBI investigators found at least 37,000 images and videos of child pornography in his garbage. According to published reports, some videos show the doctor sexually assaulting girls under the age of 12.

In February 2017, AG Schuette charged Nassar with 36 additional counts of criminal sexual conduct, including 22 first-degree counts and 13-third degree counts. The most recent state criminal charges are related to Nassar's work as a physician at MSU and his treatment of gymnasts at Twistars.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi is California's leading law firm representing child victims of sexual abuse.  The firm has represented more than 150 victims of clergy sexual abuse in California and hundreds of others throughout the United States.  The firm also represented plaintiffs in the $140,000,000 settlement against LAUSD in the Miramonte case, the largest sex abuse settlement against a School District in the US.

SOURCE Manly, Stewart & Finaldi

Related Links

http://www.californiasexualabusefirm.com