OT: MSU Interim President Engler Statement RE: Nassar and others
Instead of clipping certain portions I decided to post the letter to the MSU community in full.
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To the MSU campus community: On this second day of my second week as interim president, I think it is important to address several matters many of you have raised with me. Everyone knows the Nassar case is an international story. As he begins serving his sentence in a federal prison in Arizona, we are all still struggling to comprehend the extent of the damage he inflicted on so many girls and young women, and on their families. Questions about how this could have happened and what must be done to prevent it from ever happening again are the subject of multiple inquiries. At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education is conducting a Clery program review, the U.S. Senate has requested information, and the U.S. House of Representatives has two inquiries underway. The NCAA also is seeking information from us. In Michigan, the House of Representatives is requesting production of documents and the Attorney General’s Office, at MSU’s request, is conducting an investigation. Add to these an accreditation agency inquiry and an ongoing blizzard of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and the volume of compliance deadlines Michigan State University faces is daunting. Last week alone, we turned over data equivalent to some 45,000 pages of documents, emails, and other materials to William Forsyth, the independent special counsel who is heading the investigation for the Attorney General’s Office. MSU is committed to cooperating with all official requests, and I’m grateful for the cooperation that faculty and staff have given the General Counsel’s office and the law firms that are assisting the university. While the investigations are ongoing, activity in lawsuits representing well over 100 survivors continues to move forward. I’m following the progress closely as we work to return to mediation and, I fervently hope, a just resolution that helps the survivors bring some closure to this horrific chapter in their lives. Michigan State, too, needs to heal and to emerge a stronger institution, one where safety, respect, and civility are hallmarks. That is not a new expectation. The University Policy on Relationship Violence & Sexual Misconduct states from the outset: “Michigan State University is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment for all students, faculty, and staff that is fair, humane, and responsible—an environment that supports career and educational advancement on the basis of job and academic performance…. Relationship violence, stalking, and sexual misconduct are not tolerated at Michigan State University.” It is a privilege to call ourselves Spartans, one that carries a responsibility to adhere to standards of behavior, on campus and off, that should be well understood by all. We know from Title IX reports that a large proportion of our sexual assaults happen on campus, that all too often those involved are familiar with each other, and that alcohol consumption is often involved. We can do better with our campus relationship climate, and I’ll continue reaching out to people and groups in the days ahead for advice and suggestions that can move us toward the kind of campus we all want to be associated with. Finally, I viewed with great concern a recent ESPN report that gathered considerable national attention in no small part because it showed a promotional graphic of our head football and men’s basketball coaches with Larry Nassar. This was a sensationalized package of reporting that contained allegations and insinuations that we are now reviewing. The coaches were asked to refrain from comment while the reports were examined. That has been a burden that must be lifted. I hope that MSU can soon respond in full and affirm the integrity and probity that has been the hallmark of these two respected coaches. It isn’t easy to live under a microscope. I’m proud of how so many members of the Spartan community have expressed concern for the survivors in so many ways. I’m pleased—but frankly not surprised—by the willingness of so many to commence the hard work of making real change in order to achieve an environment that truly is fair, humane, and responsible. To that I would add safe and civil. I’m fully aware that there is a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. I appreciate your support as we together address the urgent tasks in front of us. Because this is how Spartans show their will. |
February 13th, 2018 at 4:47 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 4:50 PM ^
...to continue to press Izzo and Dantonio for answers. The third-to-last paragraph is farcical.
February 13th, 2018 at 4:58 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 4:57 PM ^
It's dangerous to make these types of declarations too early.
February 13th, 2018 at 4:59 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 5:11 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 5:16 PM ^
to Izzo.
Izzo had two incidents in over twenty years. No one can point to him interfering in the process for either case as of yet.
And Izzo has never recruited a person that was a sex offender in high school.
He also has never stopped the team bus at the Ingham county jail on the way to a road trip to pick up an important starter for a road game.
Dantonio has done the above and much more. He's one of the worst actors in college football.
I just don't see Mork and Izzo as being in the same class at all.
February 13th, 2018 at 5:35 PM ^
No neg here, but you have to understand the seriousness of the Walton issues, the lack of punishment or acknowledgment of those assaults, and then the reported rape by two recruits who continued to play all throughout the acitve investigation.
It's not that he's worse than Dantonio, it's that they all took the stance of ignoring assault accusations so that you can win games and relying on a justice department that had your back in all things.
That is not a culture of fairness, integrity and respect.
February 14th, 2018 at 1:07 PM ^
Are you referring to Walton's civil infraction for littering when he was a volunteer student assistant?
Can you please provide some examples of all these sexual assaul accusations that were ignored? I am honestly curious. I asked a similar question a couple of weeks ago and got zero responses.
February 14th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
assaulting a woman in a bar was plead down to littering. The allegation was assault, and he was kept on staff, i.e. ignored, while it was being investigated. That's a very rare move to not indefinitely suspend someone in that position. But it was done to keep it hush, hush while they got it taken care of.
Walton's attorney simply came to the DA and said he had conflicting accounts from witnesses which of course he could find some Spartan slappy's or friends of Walton's to take the side of a former bball player.
And because the DA's office was clearly compromised when it came to favoring the MSU AD, they plead down the charges happily.
February 14th, 2018 at 3:40 PM ^
The City Attorney that handled that case has addressed the matter.
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2018…
February 14th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
What is the relevance of your post? I believe a similar example would be another coach, Gary Moeller, who resigned over a similar type of infraction. The issue isn't about what the court system did or didn't do. The issue is about how MSU has refused to demand or enforce any type of civil behavior from its coaches and athletes towards women.
Are you seriously suggesting that if a coach punched a woman in a bar for not wanting to talk to him that you would think he should continue coaching if he could plea it down? Because that is what you are saying.
Other examples are in the OTL report. I encourage you to watch the police interview with Adreian Payne and note that they never missed a game that season.
February 14th, 2018 at 4:03 PM ^
Sorry, if you don't like actual facts straight from the source. I am not going to discuss your conspiracy theory nonsense.
February 14th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
Actual facts? Are you saying he did not plead down? What actual fact am I ignoring? Did you watch the Payne interview with police?
The fact is the actual source suggested that Walton be prosecuted. "I had actually taken the accusing witness’s statement seriously in the initial report and recommended the charges of Assault & Battery against Walton, which were then initiated. If I had wanted to “cover-up” an issue - why would I have recommended/initiated charges in the first place?"
Why do you think the source would say that if Walton hadn't punched a woman in the face?
I'm guessing in either case you aren't reading the facts, but trying to fit a predetermined narrative.
February 13th, 2018 at 5:36 PM ^
If the ESPN report is accurate...Izzo and Hollis both knew that a member of his coaching staff and two players were accused of gang raping a girl and neither reported it to Title IX. It is illegal for both of the men in these positions to not report it to Title IX.
ESPN said that they asked MSU about this incident and MSU allegedly gave a response that they have high standards that they don't always live up to, which is a non-answer leaning towards they didn't report it.
February 13th, 2018 at 5:19 PM ^
This is the portion of this email that was totally unnecessary and will come back to haunt Engler and MSU:
"We know from Title IX reports that a large proportion of our sexual assaults happen on campus, that all too often those involved are familiar with each other, and that alcohol consumption is often involved."
Even if this is true, this is not the time or the place to insert this little factoid. It sounds like "wink,wink", we all know what really goes on here. It's not really sexual assault. Too much to drink, people that know each other, etc. etc.
This will be pounced upon big time. It was totally unnecessary and superfluous to what is happening right now and shows the real mentality of Big John and the MSU "leaders."
February 13th, 2018 at 5:23 PM ^
Not sure if it's worth a new thread, but MSU faculty reps voted NO confidence in the BoT by a vote of 61-4. Only a formality but there you go
February 13th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 5:28 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 5:55 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 5:37 PM ^
I want the truth to come out, and to the degree that Dantonio and or Izzo is guilty of suppressing evidence and protecting sexual harrassment, they should be punished.
However, I am willing to let the process work, and to give Engler at least some benefit of the doubt. He is a politician, so I am not surprised he is being political.
In my general (but limited) experience, you often see the extremes in something like this. On the one extreme, no one is guilty, MSU is persecuted and besmirched. On the other extreme, everyone is tainted, many are guilty, and MSU should be burned to the ground. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
As a Michigan fan, I hate MSU, and very much want Michigan to always win. However, I am not close enough to the situation to assign blame and coverups to both Dantonio and Izzo.
Lastly, I again want to see Michigan use this opportunity to have it's own house in order. I don't want to see something like this horrific tragedy ever happen in Ann Arbor.
February 13th, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^
So this is what circling the wagons sounds like.
February 13th, 2018 at 5:46 PM ^
"It is a privilege to call ourselves Spartans"
It is a privilege to name yourself after an ancient group of people that downplayed academics, had more slaves than citizens that were murdered to prove manhood, and would rape the women when sacking a town?
...okay, Engler and Spartan Nation, please take a lot of pride in that name today.
February 13th, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 6:19 PM ^
February 14th, 2018 at 6:16 PM ^
Wolverines are mustelids, the same family of carnivorous mammals that badgers and otters belong to. Badgers, wolverines, and otters are all delightful, mighty, tenacious, and ferocious. Our mascot embodies many admirable qualities.
February 13th, 2018 at 6:00 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 6:26 PM ^
Izzo was in tears after the Purdue game. Is it because he knows he is dirty, guilty, and this will be his last season? or is he really sympathetic for the victims? I think we all know the answer to that.
February 13th, 2018 at 8:31 PM ^
February 14th, 2018 at 12:53 AM ^
Be his final season. He'll just duck into a relatively quiet retirement before any hammer can come down on him personally or erode his legacy. And you know who is gonna replace him? 
February 13th, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 7:02 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 7:19 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 7:36 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 8:12 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 8:35 PM ^
February 13th, 2018 at 9:18 PM ^
an article on the front page of ESPN about the letter. "We stand by our reporting."-ESPN
The lack of awareness is pretty insane. They only care about protecting their prized coaches instead of fixing the trash culture.
Keep in mind the unknown unknowns. Considering that many sexual assaults are not reported, and that victims were regulary coerced into not pressing charges, makes the number of 16 sexual assaults a probable underestimate. This is why "inoccent until proven guilty" in this context doesn't make sense with already such a large number. You don't need 16 convictions to question MSU's coverup culture.
February 13th, 2018 at 9:32 PM ^
Last week alone, we turned over data equivalent to some 45,000 pages of documents, emails, and other materials to William Forsyth, the independent special counsel who is heading the investigation for the Attorney General’s Office.
That takes about one hour for one person, unless you are trying to comb through it first to make sure you don't give him anything incriminating....
That he gives it as an example of a whole lot of work they are doing makes me think MSU is back to the same old deflect and hide strategy.
February 13th, 2018 at 10:41 PM ^
In the end, MSU partisan sports fans will buy whatever explanations are offered for why the two guys in charge weren't responsible. And the rest of the world won't buy them for a second. But the school will have proven where it's core values are in not cutting bait in the first place.
It's reckless for MSU to defend the OTL cases like this because they will necessarily smear victims. Not to mention the unaccounted for unreported victims which are likely out there who will fight back against the school.
I think the University will look back in 5 or 10 years and wished it would have honored both guys, paid their buyouts, and immediately admitted mistakes were made which are not acceptable.
It's very poorly conceived and short term thinking to dig in like this over two sports coaches who aren't going to reclaim their images outside of the MSU community.
February 14th, 2018 at 7:56 AM ^
Sounds like Izzo was digging in again at his post game press confernece last night. Calling out the ESPN report again. Keep circling the wagons Tommy.
February 14th, 2018 at 8:57 AM ^
As expected, more of the same. Probably a slight upgrade from Simon just because he likely won't appear at a courthouse and talk down to the victims, but other than that, I see no change or improvement. As expected.
The D'Antonio-Izzo paragraph strikes me as amateur-hour, but obviously isn't given Engler's professional track record. I just can't believe - or stomach - how even the MSU faithful can see that paragraph as anything but a reactionary, willfully ignorant rejection of facts in favor of an old boys network and athletic success. But apparently they do, and apparently such a defense works, as we've seen such blatant, almost belligerent stonewalling succeed at other places. Sigh.
February 14th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
To me, spartans show 'their will' by wearing a head cover and no gloves and sweep it up like it's their job. FU
February 14th, 2018 at 2:10 PM ^
February 14th, 2018 at 2:45 PM ^
Here is the complete list:
1. Beating UM in football and basketball
February 14th, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
I enjoy the site and the energetic and informative posts from its contributors and commenters. I hope that my occasionalcomments add a perspective that is helpful, no matter how small a contribution.
I am failing to see how your comments in this thread add anything other then a contentious attitude. They have not yet informed me of anything I didn't know or added a perspective other than trollilng.
Please don't respond with, "See, anything that isn't totally 100% pro-UM gets negged to oblivion". I often upvote and appreciate the insights of pessimists or those with a different view, so long as they add information or a new perspective. You have failed to do so.
Please either up your game or sit out for a bit.
Thanks.
February 14th, 2018 at 4:43 PM ^
February 14th, 2018 at 4:51 PM ^
To be honest, I don't really track that stuff very much--I focus more on UM and what it's doing.
If you want to start a list, I'd look at the OTL report, start with the 2 reported gang rapes, 16 assaults, Dantonio picking up an athlete from jail on the way to a game, and scan the recent posts. There is probably some stuff in Ace's football preview where he discusses MSU's off-field issues the last couple years as well.
Good luck and godspeed.