EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University is authorizing what it says will be an independent investigation of the school’s handling of sexual assault complaints against now-imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar .
The board of trustees unanimously approved the probe Friday. It intends to hire Chicago-based law firm McDermott Will & Emery to investigate and release a public report.
The university has come under criticism for hiring a law firm to conduct an “independent” investigation while the same law firm also defended the school in civil lawsuits. No report has been made public.
The Michigan attorney general office’s has been investigating the university and has charged three officials, including a former president.
Trustees say they worked with Nassar victims in recent months to launch the new investigation “to restore trust in this university.”
FOX 17 Note: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued this statement Friday morning:
“Michigan State University lacks the credibility necessary to conduct a legitimate investigation. Over the past few years, it has launched several investigations including an ‘independent investigation’ conducted by Patrick Fitzgerald in 2016. Unsurprisingly, it has cleared its employees of culpability each time. There is only one way for MSU to regain the public’s trust and that is to waive its privilege and disclose all information in its possession about Larry Nassar to the Department of Attorney General. In other words, the University should leave the job of investigating to the professionals.”
