Larry Nassar Victims Sue Michigan State, Claim School Made 'Secret Decisions'
Women who were sexually assaulted by former Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar have filed a lawsuit against the school.
The victims say the school hid more than 6,000 documents during the attorney general's investigation into how Nassar continued to get away with his behavior. The school also would not turn over emails about the board's decision making — claiming protection under attorney-client privilege.
Larry Nassar admitted to molesting hundreds of gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment. (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
The survivors say they don't want money from the university — just accountability.
"It's really, really hard to heal when you know there's still answers to a lot of your questions out there," Nassar victim Elizabeth Maurer said at a press conference Thursday.
In 2018, Nassar received a sentence up to 175 years after he admitted to molesting hundreds of gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The FBI arrested Larry Nassar in 2016.
And Michigan State didn't handle the Larry Nassar investigation well.
The school has already settled about $500 million worth of lawsuits from Nassar victims, according to The Associated Press.
The new civil suit claims MSU's elected trustee board made "secret decisions" regarding the handling of the case. The victims' attorney attorney Azzam Elder said the board's actions were a "blatant violation" of Michigan's Open Meetings Act and the state constitution.
"If you’re going to lie about it, at least have the guts to do it publicly," Elder said.
U.S. gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols testified against Larry Nassar. (Photo by Saul Loeb - Pool/Getty Images)
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has asked the school to release the more than 6,000 documents. These exchanges would help to shine a light on what the school actually knew about Nassar's abuse.
"This is about who knew what, when at the university," Nassar survivor Melissa Brown Hudecz said. "We can't heal as a community until we know that everyone who enabled a predator is accountable."
"By protecting the 6,000 secret documents and anyone named in them, the board is adding to survivors' trauma with their lack of institutional accountability."
Nassar made headlines earlier this month after he suffered multiple stab wounds and a collapsed lung a following an altercation in a Florida federal prison. A fellow inmate reportedly attacked the 59-year-old after he made "lewd" comments about female tennis players at Wimbledon.