EAST LANSING, Mich. — The founder of an organization created after the Larry Nassar scandal wants to know why instances of alleged sexual violence continue to happen at Michigan State University.
On Sunday, MSU suspended without pay its head football coach, Mel Tucker, amid an investigation into whether he sexually harassed a woman.
READ MORE: Mel Tucker suspended without pay after sexual harassment investigation
USA Today first reported about the allegations overnight.
“I was actually sickened,” said Valerie Von Frank, executive director of Parents of Sister Survivors Engage (POSSE). “I knew that the survivors in our case were going to feel it today and I have gotten word from them that they are pretty shaken up about it.”
In 2018, Von Frank and other parents of women sexually abused by the disgraced sports doctor founded POSSE. It aims to advocate for survivors of sexual violence. She says the newest case tells them that MSU cares more about its reputation than actual change.
“Obviously there's something wrong,” said Von Frank. “[Nassar survivors] haven't felt that MSU has held itself accountable or that it has produced the truth, starting with their case. When something else happens yet again, and there are more headlines of yet another example at Michigan State University, they feel as though their efforts were really not taken seriously.”
MSU Interim President Teresa Woodruff disputed concerns about the school’s culture at a press conference.
“This morning’s news might sound like the MSU of old,” said Woodruff. “It is not. It’s not because an independent, unbiased investigation is and continues to be conducted.”
She encouraged individuals who have experienced or noticed inappropriate behavior on campus to contact the school’s Center for Survivors.
“The MSU of today is creating a culture that is welcoming, supportive, and caring,” said Woodruff. “The bravery and work of our collective community defines our institution and its people, not the action of any single individual.”
Von Frank says people experiencing sexual violence should call police or the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. She told FOX 17 that in order for the school to gain trust again, she thinks leaders should conduct a school-wide culture assessment and survey, release documents related to the Nassar investigation, and explore options in which state lawmakers would oversee issues related to sexual violence.
“Obviously, there's something wrong,” said Von Frank. “There's just something wrong that this keeps happening. You’d think if anything, that there would be fewer, and it would be cleaned up, and we wouldn't have these things coming forward, but it just seems rife.”
