News continues on the topic of the Lawrence Nasser sexual abuse case regarding female athletes with Michigan State and the women’s Olympic Gymnastic team. In 2016, hundreds of women claimed Nasser, a doctor, abused them during his examinations.
Nasser received a sentence in 2018 of decades in prison for his actions.
The Olympic connection
The scandal widened and many people associated with Nasser lost high-level positions. According to the New York Times, U.S.A Gymnastics received an onslaught of criticism about the handling of the sexual abuse matter. Many officials eventually resigned under pressure, while some faced charges for such actions as evidence tampering. At one point, after women spoke about the abuses Nasser enacted, the entire board of U.S.A. Gymnastics resigned. The head of the United States Olympic Committee threatened to decertify the organization. Later, though, a top official of the USOC resigned under pressure from US senators and child-advocacy groups. Many of the criticisms involved complaints that people in high levels throughout these organizations did little to stop the ongoing sexual abuse of athletes.
The Michigan State Role
The scandal rocked Michigan State University, too, where Nasser also worked as a team doctor. According to the New York Times, John Engler, a former governor of Michigan, faced intense criticism when he said that some of the victims of the abuse appeared to be enjoying the spotlight. Engler served as an interim president of the university for a short period of time during the unfolding of the scandal. University board members and trustees criticized Engler’s comments and he soon resigned his interim position.