Michigan State fined $4.5 million for 'systemic failure' to address Larry Nassar abuse

Michigan State University's Larry Nassar scandal isn't over yet.

The school will have to pay a $4.5 million fine for both disgraced gymnastics team doctor Nassar's "abhorrent" crimes and for Michigan State's similarly abhorrent response, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Thursday. That's nearly double what Pennsylvania State University was fined in its abuse case involving Jerry Sandusky, and seemingly prompted MSU provost June Youatt's immediate resignation, The Detroit Free Press reports.

In a statement, DeVos characterized Nassar's abuse of dozens of his patients, as well as former MSU Dean William Strampel's failure to properly oversee Nassar, as "disgusting and unimaginable." "This must not happen again — there or anywhere else," DeVos continued. Along with the record-breaking fine, the U.S. Education Department has mandated MSU create an office devoted to complying with federal regulations and "a system of protective measures and expanded reporting" to protect students and visiting minors.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Nassar was sentenced in January 2018 to more than 100 years in prison for molesting patients while working at Michigan State and for the U.S. Gymnastics Team. Strampel was later sentenced to 11 months in jail for neglect of duty regarding Nassar's abuse. The university settled with families of Nassar's abuse victims for $500 million last May, doling out $425 million to victims and reserving $75 million in case more come forward.