UM puts out a statement regarding sexual abuse allegations and future steps
Some appropriate steps taken so far. They have to continue to be transparent about the whole situation.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:27 PM ^
Just do everything the opposite way MSU did. A no-Engler zone.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
The moment MSU appointed John Engler as school President, that was the moment MSU basically gave all the victims the middle finger and told them that they could care less about what happened and that they had absolutely no intent to do right by them.
There are very few people that MSU could have chosen who would have been a more insulting pick than that fat sack of crap. His behavior towards the victims was beyond reprehensible.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:28 PM ^
The hope, and potential upside, here is that Schlissel wasn't a part of Michigan during all of this and therefore won't be part of the clean house process that Simon was. Ignoring her just being a terrible steward of the University during the process, she had been at MSU for decades and was part of the institutional failure.
Schlissel, assuming his words are backed up by actions, won't immediately close ranks. Michigan won't have to hire an interim and more importantly won't hire a John freaking Engler type person. As someone who knows women assaulted by Nassar, that Engler hire still pisses me off to this day and reaffirms my disdain for the institution.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:51 PM ^
That’s true. There’s no way Schlissel has the same culpability of that scumbag Simon who actively shielded Nassar
But, if this whole sitting on it for 19 months thing is true and it’s shown he was aware of it, that’s not exactly going to be a great look either. I doubt, barring some unforeseen developments, that would be enough to force him out.
I only hope that, should he have to step down, the BOR has the wisdom to appoint an interim that isn’t a total piece of garbage like MSU did.
I still remember being utterly speechless when hearing Engler was appointed. Talk about someone who you knew was going to do everything possible to shame and discredit the victims. I think my first comment was “What, they chose Engler because Harvey Weinstein wasn’t available.”
February 25th, 2020 at 3:13 PM ^
Agreed on the 19 month thing. They need to do this right. It can always be better, so do it better.
I had MSU fans say "Engler was the perfect hire" after all of that. In that, he was hired to shield MSU and take the worst of it by being brash and aggressive. It was "strategic." One of the most out of touch and terrible things I had heard from a MSU alum.
You can hire a cut throat, asshole to lead the institution through the fire. There are hundreds of them out there. Hiring Engler wasn't that. That was hiring a back ally hatchet man to tell the entire world MSU didn't really care and wanted those women to shut up and take whatever settlement MSU would graciously give them.
February 25th, 2020 at 10:54 PM ^
OP can't state M has been totally transparent until the probe is finished.
February 25th, 2020 at 5:59 PM ^
Did he actually sit on it? Sounds like they were investigating it.
I thought the complaints were that 1) they didn't publicly announce the investigations until recently and 2) didn't share info with the victim(s) about the investigations while ongoing.
As it relates to the former, at what point is it appropriate/necessary to publicly announce something? It's not reasonable to announce immediately an alleged event that took place almost 50 years ago by a deceased person. They can take it seriously and investigate and be compassionate to the victim without publicly announcing it immediately. I agree that 19 months is way too long, especially after other tips started coming in. They could/should have released a statement like this a long time ago.
As it relates to the latter, I'm sure there are privacy things at play.
As I understand it, he certainly didn't sit on anything so as to amount to "covering it up".
February 26th, 2020 at 8:24 AM ^
As far as not immediately announcing the investigations publicly goes, Anderson was dead and could not hurt any additional victims, unlike the Nassar scandal. Under those circumstances, it was probably prudent to keep it under wraps until the investigation was concluded.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:32 PM ^
It’s a good first step.
The real challenge is going to be when lawsuits start flying and UM lawyers are most likely going to start telling everyone to keep their mouths shut in an attempt to limit the school’s legal exposure.
Hopefully administration handles it better than the clowns and dirt bags at MSU did (I can’t imagine a school handling it any worse.) But they’ve got a long and uncertain road ahead of them.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:17 AM ^
Based on the statue of limitations that applies, legal liability would require the state legislature and governor to pass a law to waive that protection.
In MSUs case they did so, but the fact that no current high ranking personnel seem to be implicated in keeping Anderson in place or refusing to cooperate with investigations would make such a possibility appear less likely.
Speculating on legal culpability and its financial impact or duration of legal proceedings is very premature.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:36 PM ^
As much as (disturbingly) the Spartan fans want this to end up badly for UM, it is already night and day different than how MSU handled their situation. Both are sad, and I don’t think anyone here took joy in MSU’s scandal, but the they sure seem to be enjoying in this. Which is sick and sad. Hopefully truth comes out and all those affected will find comfort and closure.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:42 PM ^
Please stop with this “our sexual assault scandal is better than theirs, because.....” nonsense. They’re all equally terrible and no school comes out as a winner in this and it’s beyond myopic and idiotic to suggest otherwise.
And there were plenty of people here who chortled with glee over the Nassar and Strauss scandals. Stop pretending everyone took the high road.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
I agree that it’s all terrible, I just hope UM as an institution handles it better.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
Agreed.
If we used a rating like exam scores, MSU would have received zero percent.
Michigan, in my opinion, would have earned a much higher “score,” but it still failed. That there was institutional failure, at Michigan, is the only thing we should be caring about.
No one can change that the failure occurred, but those in charge can make sure everything is handled as well as possible moving forward.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
i don't know how you can conclude the UM case was a failure without knowing more facts yet. unless you deem that act(s) occurred is in and of itself failure. allegations are coming to light that occurred 20-50 years ago. and the alleged perpetrator died 12 years ago. if the allegations are just coming out in the past year or so, what could have been done?
hell, i don't know. but i am sure not drawing any conclusions yet until i hear more. if there documented instances on file throughout this doctor's history, then we have a different story. but i am waiting until more facts come out.
February 25th, 2020 at 6:11 PM ^
that there were multiple reported incidents occurring over a three decade span is a failure, full stop. because at worst, employees of the university covered it up / enabled the behavior and at best the university didn't foster a culture that encouraged victims to come forward in the first place.
that it took a me too movement for them to come forward reflects a much wider cultural and societal failure but if UofM wants/wanted to truly be leaders - and this city and university prides itself as being counter culture - this institution could have been different.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:03 PM ^
Think you missed his point. It's not about comparing sexual assaults, it's about comparing how the institution deals with it.
Full transparency, disclosure, investigations and resources for the victims is the least we should all expect in such horrific circumstances. Unfortunately, institutions often do the exact opposite in order to protect themselves, financially and reputationally.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:18 PM ^
No, I think that the ellipsis was "we handled it better." And he's saying stop comparing, who cares, it's all bad. Very bad. Plus, we haven't handled shit yet.
Plus, we settled a case in 2004 for Philbert and then promoted him to provost.
Plus, we brought in an opera singer to our music school despite his reputation for sexually harassing and assaulting people (including the legal action against him in Houston) and now, predictably, we have a lot of students who have accused him at Michigan.
We didn't spend so much time ranking MSU, PSU, and OSU based on their handling of their sexual assault problems. We just said they should fix it.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
That's the page I'm on as well.
Prior to any media outrage, Michigan ensured there was an investigation and took reasonable steps at trying to determine what happened. At least, so far as we know.
But, in my opinion, they failed in not focusing on how to help those affected prior to the Detroit News being notified. I get that there are huge political and legal implications regardless of what they do. However, for the last several years, I have been absolutely irate at universities refusing to be transparent and expeditious with how they handle these things. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't express that I think Michigan could, and should, have done better.
I agree with you that a university reflex will always be to protect themselves. I think that sucks. I am also a naive romantic that can not abandon the notion that every university exists for the sole purpose of being a ray of light in the darkness.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:29 PM ^
No I didn’t miss the point at all. Since the moment this thing has broken there has been an inclination for some people to say “Well, we’re still better than MSU/Nassar because....” In some twisted attempt to save face
Saying that the current administration, if they in fact do handle this in a proper way, did better than MSU administration did with Nassar, therefore we can claim some moral high ground is beyond ridiculous. Nothing that happens from here on changes the fact that a hell of a lot of people in a hell of a lot of administrations either ignored this or covered it up for 50 years.
And I should also remind you that, despite what Schlissel, Manuel and Co say/do from here on out, they apparently sat on things for at least 19 months. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement that they were so concerned over doing the right thing until they were forced to.
Michigan leadership hasn’t “handled” anything yet. A statement and a hotline are just barely scratching the surface of what needs to be done and, unfortunately, there are going to be a lot of lawyers and others who are going to push back against the idea of full transparency because of the possible legal fallout it’ll bring.
February 25th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
Why do you keep saying that the Michigan administration sat on this for 19 months? What is your definition of sitting on something, because you and I must have different definitions
February 25th, 2020 at 9:04 PM ^
Please read any number of stories that have been published saying it was reported by an accuser to UM administration 19 months ago and they did nothing to the point where he finally went to the press.
Don’t play semantics and try to spin crap into gold.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:03 AM ^
This is incredibly inaccurate.
Det News released a story yesterday saying that UM police followed up with the Washtenaw prosecutor multiple times over 9 months, but the prosecutor kept diverting resources to handle chargeable crimes. The gap between Warde receiving the letter and UM police officially opening an investigation was 2-3 months. No idea what preliminary steps were or weren't taken in the time frame.
February 25th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
Ann Arbor – The president and CEO of one of the nation’s largest marathons has joined a chorus of former students who have complained about a late University of Michigan doctor by saying the physician performed a “completely inappropriate” act on him during a medical examination in the 1970s.
Dr. James Barahal, who himself is a longtime physician, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that Dr. Robert E. Anderson gave him a digital rectal exam when the then-medical student visited the student health center in 1975 complaining of a sore throat.
“I remember leaving, and I can still picture the health center and walking through the waiting room, getting out on the street and it was like, ‘What was that?’ I knew it was completely inappropriate,” Barahal said Monday.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^
This isn’t too far off from what I heard from a good friend who was an athlete in the early 90s. He’d go in because his shoulder was messed up and Anderson would tell him to “drop his drawers”. Said it was well known and a running joke amongst his teammates.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:17 PM ^
Wait, they're starting an independent review now? I thought they announced last week that one had already occurred.
February 25th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
Hey I’m just curious. What is your RCMB name? Looking through your posting history it’s pretty obvious.
February 25th, 2020 at 6:28 PM ^
Michigan fan for 40 yrs my arse
February 25th, 2020 at 2:25 PM ^
IIRC there was a police investigation, but no university-led review. I could be wrong though
February 25th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
since the doctor is long dead, I see two solutions:
1. compensation for living victims
2. some sort of censure against any living administrators who were responsible for his 1978 department shuffle
February 25th, 2020 at 2:44 PM ^
Good steps, and they have to keep it up. That independent analysis needs to be independent, and if it shows UM failed in their duties (and I assume some people absolutely did for it to have gone on that long), they should be held accountable.
February 26th, 2020 at 10:29 AM ^
I agree with you, BronxBlue, but what does it mean to hold them accountable? Fire anyone who was there when it happened? What did Bo, Mo and Lloyd know and when did they know (or not know) it? Did any players complain to the coaching staff? What were the policies and procedures in place at the time? Have they changed since Anderson retired? The independent investigation will surely make a lot of people squirm over the next couple months.
February 25th, 2020 at 3:34 PM ^
Why don’t they just fire these guys in the first place? How hard is that really? Why do competent employees get fired for situations beyond their control, yet these guys can operate with no accountability for decades? I don’t get it. Life isn’t fair. I just don’t get how he wasn’t fired at the moment people knew.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:08 AM ^
He did get fired by UM health in 1979. The biggest question of the whole investigation is what did the AD know when they hired him.
Was anything put into his employee file by UM Health? Was that file reviewed by someone in the AD? These are some of the questions that should be answered.
February 25th, 2020 at 4:47 PM ^
I never have confidence in an "independent, external investigation team" that is authorized and paid by the entity being investigated.
February 25th, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^
never? then the whole corporate independent audit process is complete bunk.
February 25th, 2020 at 8:45 PM ^
It's not "complete bunk" but if you think that "independent auditor" doesn't know where its paycheck comes from, you are fooling yourself.
February 26th, 2020 at 8:03 AM ^
Auditors are peer reviewed and public company auditors are subject to SEC rules/fines. If you just hire a lawyer to do an independent investigation, you are solely relying on that lawyer to do his/her investigation properly while collecting a check from the subject of the investigation.
February 25th, 2020 at 6:52 PM ^
If you hire a legitimate law firm with national credentials, you're going to get a good investigation. I want to say it's a little like paying a doctor to do a certain kind of exam but in this case... yeah, it's not the ideal situation for that analogy. And now I also wish "analogy" were spelled differently, too. Sheesh.
Just do the right thing, Michigan.
February 25th, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
Agree, and hopefully UofM doesn't see the findings and give feedback before the results of the investigation are released to the public. That's the part that can get a little dicey - does UofM allow the UNFILTERED report to get issued? I doubt it.
February 26th, 2020 at 8:31 AM ^
Oh, really? MSU hired a "legitimate law firm with national credentials." Remember what that report looked like?
February 25th, 2020 at 11:35 PM ^
I was wondering about the same thing. How should these "independent" investigators be paid? Should the victims do a Kickstarter? Or other schools pool in money to pay them? Maybe the state government of the state they are situated in should pay?
Any thoughts?
February 25th, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
Glad Dr. O'Connor was around.
February 25th, 2020 at 7:45 PM ^
Rule #1 Get out of the way.
You are an institution of education and higher learning. You are not equipped nor resourced to correctly and professionally investigate crimes, interview witnesses, collect and corroborate evidence, make arrests and prosecute alleged criminals to the full extent of the law under due process. That's what law enforcement is for.
Cooperate. And GTFO of the way.
February 26th, 2020 at 1:32 AM ^
So basically men are pigs? Even men at a liberal institution of higher learning. That is what I take away from all this stuff. Not that UM is handling it better than MSU. The whole rivalry thing is just a smokescreen for maybe men abuse power and can't resist the seductive nature of women?
I know this isn't what you really want to discuss. Back to the morally superior argument of UM over MSU.
February 26th, 2020 at 9:44 AM ^
We, and I think every school that faces this, has to look at it as an infected boil that needs to be lanced and disinfected.
A) Focus on the victims. Let your subsequent actions flow from that.
B) Be transparent, so that if you do make mistakes they can be seen and rectified ASAP; again to speed healing for the victims. Involve the cops. This isn't the time to try to save money and face; that's gone. Do the right thing.
C) Pull the thread and be ruthless as to where it goes. If it leads to Bo and Canham then expose it and be honest about it. If you find something ugly; be the first to report it. Don't have some 'private firm' do it that is in any way associated with the University. Let the cops lead the way.
D) Make sure that whatever happened back then 1) isn't happening now and 2) put in place measures so it can't happen again.
I'm disgusted with how these evil, predatory situations have been allowed to happen. I'm Catholic. I love the Church. But I'm super disgusted with how the abuse there was handled and not dealt with. Now we have seen it with OSU, PSU, MSU, and finally Michigan (WTH Big Ten?).
FIX IT.
We want to be the leaders and best? . Okay President and BOR, lead now and show how to properly handle this and let the idea of 'damage control' as it relates to the university get expunged from your mind. The only 'Damage Control' that should be done is to make sure that the victims are in now way further damaged.
February 26th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
JFW - that's a really good take and I agree entirely.
Michigan is not the first place this is happened nor will it be the last. The university has a chance to show the rest of the world how this sort of thing can and should be handled.
Priority #1 is to make sure it isn't happening anymore, naturally.
Anyone comes up culpable in way should be held accountable, no matter how high-standing that person is in Michigan lore.
Most importantly going forward, Michigan has to understand and admit that it failed as an institution, then take steps to ensure that this never happens again and that the victims are treated with dignity and respect.