January, 25 2018, 11:45am EDT
UltraViolet on MSU President Simon's Resignation
WASHINGTON
Last night, news broke that Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon will step down as President before the end of the week. The announcement comes hours after former MSU employee and doctor for the American gymnastics team Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting former gymnasts and patients in his care.
In response to the news, Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, a national women's advocacy group, issued the following statement:
"The highest rungs of MSU's administration knew that Larry Nassar was sexually abusing female athletes under his care and did nothing--and that complicity goes all the way up to President Lou Anna Simon, who kept Nassar on her staff even after he was fired from USA Gymnastics for assaulting young girls.
"Simon's resignation cannot undo the trauma inflicted on the brave survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse, and it is long past time she be held accountable for a cover-up of such an unimaginable scale. Sexual harassment and assault are crimes, and students deserve better than an administration that protects predators.
"MSU could have prevented the molestation and abuse of women and girls if they simply believed survivors rather than give cover to someone like Larry Nassar. We strongly support thorough and independent investigations into the cover-up of Larry Nassar's crimes and demand that all those complicit be held accountable."
For more information, or for interviews with an UltraViolet spokesperson, please contact Yasmina Dardari at 407-922-8149 or by email at yasmina@unbendablemedia.com.
UltraViolet is a powerful and rapidly growing community of people mobilized to fight sexism and create a more inclusive world that accurately represents all women, from politics and government to media and pop culture.
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