Education Department to probe Michigan State over sex abuse scandal
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[February 27, 2018]
By Ian Simpson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.
Department of Education will investigate how Michigan State
University handled reports of sex abuse made by female athletes
against former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, the
department said on Monday.
Nassar, who worked at the East Lansing school and treated athletes
there, has pleaded guilty to molesting female athletes under the
guise of medical treatment. He was sentenced in January and February
in two separate hearings to 40 to 175 years and 40 to 125 years in
prison.
Around 200 women, including Olympic gold medal-winning gymnasts Aly
Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, gave courtroom statements at the
sentencing hearings about Nassar's abuse, leading to the resignation
of the USA Gymnastics' board.
Michigan State's president and athletic director have resigned.

The Department of Education said in a statement that its probe would
center on whether Michigan State met requirements under Title IX, a
federal law that bars sexual discrimination in schools that receive
federal funding.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said that a civil rights team would
soon arrive on the East Lansing campus and that she was committed to
ensuring that all students were secure from sexual misconduct.
"All institutions that fall short will be held accountable for
violations of federal law," DeVos, a Michigan native, said in a
statement.
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A sign for Michigan State University is seen near the campus in East
Lansing, Michigan, U.S., February 1, 2018. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

The university said in a statement that it had been informed last
week about the Title IX probe. "As we have been, MSU is cooperating
fully with this and all investigations," it said.
Michigan State is also facing probes by the National Collegiate
Athletics Association, U.S. Senate, Michigan House of
Representatives and the state's attorney general, Interim university
President John Engler has said.
The Department of Education is conducting a related investigation
into whether Michigan State met federal rules on reporting on-campus
crime and security information.
In a related development, Republican state Senator Margaret O'Brien
said in a statement that she and a bipartisan group of lawmakers
would introduce a legislative package to combat sexual assault and
increase protections for survivors.
(Additional reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Cynthia
Osterman)
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