Michigan State president resigns amid Nassar furor

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Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon resigned Wednesday amid a growing chorus of complaints about how she handled long-standing accusations against Larry Nassar, the doctor sentenced Wednesday to at least 40 years in prison for abusing female gymnasts. Critics claimed Simon didn’t take victims seriously enough, creating a culture that enabled Nassar to continue working at the university despite formal complaints against him. The NCAA has launched its own investigation into how the school handled Nassar’s accusers. The Michigan attorney general also plans to review the university’s actions. In 2014, university administrators cleared Nassar of wrongdoing in a Title IX investigation of sexual assault claims. At least 12 other women filed assault reports against him after that investigation ended. Nassar worked at the school for another 16 months while investigators reviewed the new claims. Last year, Nassar pleaded guilty to molesting seven girls, but more than 150 victims testified during his sentencing hearing.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.