Larry Nassar's rampant sexual abuse was reportedly an open secret at Michigan State

More than a dozen Michigan State University employees knew of their colleague Larry Nassar's serial sexual abuse, The Detroit News reported Thursday. Since 1997, no fewer than 14 university figures had heard of the now-disgraced doctor's actions, the paper reported — despite the school's claim that it was unaware until a woman reported Nassar's behavior in 2014.

In 1997, Michigan State's then-gymnastics coach Kathie Klages was told by two girls from the school's youth gymnastics program that Nassar had digitally penetrated them during treatments, The Detroit News wrote. One of the girls, Larissa Boyce, said she told Klages that Nassar had been "fingering" her. Boyce recalled to the paper that Klages' response was to warn her against speaking out: "I can file this, but there are going to be serious consequences for you and Nassar," Boyce quoted Klages as saying.

Kelli Bert, a former assistant coach at Michigan State, reportedly dismissed similar reports two years later. Former track athlete Christie Achenbach told The Detroit News that she was digitally penetrated by Nassar during treatment in 1999, and when she reported the incident to Bert, Bert replied: "He's an Olympic doctor and he should know what he is doing." Bert denied to The Detroit News that she knew about Nassar's behavior. "If he had done something sexual, I believe I would have reported that immediately," she said.

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The school has claimed it was unaware of Nassar's predation until 2014. A lawyer for Michigan State wrote to Michigan's attorney general last December defending the school, saying: "We believe the evidence in this case will show that no one else at MSU knew that Nassar engaged in criminal behavior."

In his capacities as a doctor for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics, as well as during treatments he administered in other volunteer positions, Nassar is accused of sexually abusing over 150 women. Read more at The Detroit News.