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Michigan State University's Office of
Communication and Brand Strategy previously had been doing the
work, which also included collecting and evaluating news
articles, and some of its employees continued to do so in
January, the newspaper said.
Officials at the public relations firm, Weber Shandwick, were
not immediately available for comment. Michigan State University
did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nassar, who formerly was a faculty member and physician at an
on-campus clinic at Michigan State University and was also a
doctor for USA Gymnastics, received two prison sentences of up
to 125 years and up to 175 years after hundreds of young women
testified about decades of sexual abuse at his hands. Michigan
State University has been criticized for its handling of
complaints about Nassar stretching back years.
New York-based Weber Shandwick billed the university a total of
$517,343 for more than 1,440 hours of work, according to
documents that the newspaper said it obtained through a public
records request. The firm's billing included work done by 18
employees whose rates ranged from $200 to $600 per hour, the
newspaper reported.
In addition to tracking the social media activity of Nassar's
victims and family, the firm tracked those of journalists,
celebrities and politicians, the newspaper reported.
John Manly, a lawyer who represents more than 120 women who
filed civil suits against Nassar and the university, did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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