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

Larry Nassar.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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.

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Kelly O'Meara Morales

Kelly O'Meara Morales is a staff writer at The Week. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied Middle Eastern history and nonfiction writing amongst other esoteric subjects. When not compulsively checking Twitter, he writes and records music, subsists on tacos, and watches basketball.