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Day 3 of testimony in Lou Anna Simon preliminary hearing

Posted at 10:54 PM, Apr 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-09 22:54:58-04

CHARLOTTE, Mich. -- Former MSU President Lou Anna Simon was back in Eaton County court Tuesday for her third day of preliminary hearings.

Simon is accused of lying to police during the Larry Nassar sex abuse investigation. Two out of four of those charges are felonies.

The Michigan Attorney General's office is seeking to establish a "flow of information" within Michigan State University's administration that would have allowed Simon to be aware of a Title IX investigation into a sexual assault complaint against Nassar in 2014. Simon told investigators she was never made aware of allegations against Nassar until 2016.

Tuesday, only one witness took the stand, Paulette Granberry Russell, a senior advisor to Simon at the time. She testified that she was made aware of the 2014 Title IX investigation from Kristine Moore, who interviewed the female patient involved, Amanda Thomashow.

Russell said she received a call from Moore on May 16, 2014, regarding the report, and she then sent an email to Lou Anna Simon regarding an incident involving a "sports medicine doc."

Prosecutors also questioned Russell about notes she had made on folders and agendas prepared for a meeting with Simon May 19, 2014. Russell had written the letters "COM" on the folder, standing for College of Osteopathic Medicine, where Nassar worked. She had also written on the folder "Sports Med, Doctor Nassar, SA", with SA meaning sexual assault.

Russell testified she likely wrote those notes as a reminder to bring them up in her meeting with Simon, though she said, "I do not remember bringing up the matter involving Larry Nassar at that meeting.”

Testimony continues next week.