#MeTooMSU; Let’s See What Spartans Will

Michigan State University is less than 2 miles from my home.  I had been a faithful and loyal sports fan for 30 years until reading Matt Mencarini’s Lansing State Journal article entitled “They Just Didn’t Listen” on Sunday morning, December 18, 2016.  I still support the Arts, Entertainment, and Education programs.  Both of my children attended Spartan pre-school and received diplomas from MSU as undergraduates.  My son is in his last year at MSU College of Law.  What I have learned over the last 11 months is deeply disturbing.  And I am not done yet, as my gut tells me there is more to find out.

You see, Larry Nassar couldn’t have hidden in plain sight for over 2 decades if MSU wasn’t complicit and enabled him.  Serial sexual assault pedophile predators are only able to continue as long as the adults in the room allow them, here it was the administration.  As early as 1997, coaches were told, trainers were told, and doctors were told by minors over and over that something was happening to them wasn’t right.  Too young to understand exactly what, but the University betrayed their trust.

MSU failed to protect girls and young women in hopes of winning awards and gold medals.  Despite this being the largest institutional sexual assault scandal in modern history, approximately 5 times larger in sheer numbers than the PSU administration, iconic coach, and Jerry Sandusky scandal, the media coverage is, let’s say, not proportionate.  Is it discrimination against girls and young women?  Is it because it involves gymnastics and not football?  In our current climate of women coming forward against powerful men in politics, entertainment, and all types of prominent businesses throughout our country, our survivors here want to be heard.  All nearly 150 of them want you to help them be heard through their grassroots effort to shine the light on MSU at #MeTooMSU.

The survivors want MSU to admit it was wrong, like USA Gymnastics did.  To become accountable and share their external “independent” investigation.  USAG did, and didn’t hide behind the excuse of “we are in litigation,” as both MSU and USAG are in the same litigation.  To change policy and culture that allows sexual abuse to flourish.  And the survivors want to be adequately compensated for the breach of trust that now haunts them emotionally, psychologically, and physically.  The survivors only ask for justice.

Spartans Will?