“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu
The recent scandal involving the repeated sexual abuse of more than 160 women at the hands of Larry Nassar is nothing short of appalling. He has been sentenced to 40-175 years in prison, in addition to a 60-year sentence that he is already serving for possessing child pornography. His actions are undeniably atrocious; however, such abuse at this level could not have occurred without the complicity of several people in high places. We cannot forget the institution and individuals and who were aware of this abuse and took deliberate action to ignore and conceal crucial information about not only Nassar’s sexual abuse, but other cases as well.
While he was employed at Michigan State, Nassar was reported several times to multiple individuals. In most cases, the victims were ignored or told to keep quiet. This wasn’t just gymnastics. Athletic administrators at Michigan State attempted to keep all sexual misconduct involving staff or student-athletes “in-house,” thus minimizing their paper trail and the potential for the media to publicize faults. There were numerous cases where their student-athletes were accused and convicted of sexual misconduct; but the athletic department withheld files, removed names, and took other actions to ensure that they were not portrayed in a negative light. As a result, the victims’ accusations were not addressed. Their athletic department made it clear that protecting the reputation of the program was their top priority, as well as their staff and athletes – not the victims and their safety.
[ESPN] Outside the Lines: Michigan State Secrets Extend Far Beyond Larry Nassar Case
Michigan State’s president and athletic director resigned shortly after much of this information came out. Since then, there have been talks of other administrators and coaches potentially being fired for knowing about the repeated abuse and not taking action.
While it is important to hold the perpetrators of the crimes accountable, it is also extremely important to punish those who were aware of these crimes and chose not to act. It is clear that victims were ignored by several members of the athletic and university administration over several decades. The administrators’ inexcusable lack of action allowed the abuse to continue and claim more victims.
When compared to the incidents of massive abuse involving the athletic departments at Penn State and Baylor, it can be argued that Michigan State is at greater fault considering the number of administrators that knew and chose to do nothing. There were more Michigan State administrators and coaches aware of abuse, and there were clear and deliberate measures taken to hide vital information from essential personnel. There were calls for the death penalty in the cases of both Penn State and Baylor. Although neither program received such a sanction, I strongly believe it should be applied in this case.
However, that probably won’t happen. Michigan State’s basketball team is currently ranked #2 in the country. As the NCAA Tournament (March Madness) gets closer and every analyst predicts them to make another Final Four under Coach Tom Izzo, it seems like the scandal and ongoing investigations get less and less coverage. That’s unfortunate for the victims and says a lot about and where our priorities lie as a society. [We’ve got work to do.]
Do you think Michigan State’s athletic department should receive the death penalty?