Michigan House Speaker Calls On Entire MSU Board Of Trustees To Resign
LANSING (WWJ) - The Michigan Speaker of the House is calling on the entire board of trustees at Michigan State University to resign.
WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports this comes in the wake of comments by Trustee Joel Ferguson which drew widespread blow back.
Skubick noted that Speaker Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt) was the first legislative leader to call for MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon to resign.
"He is obviously is sticking to that," Skubick reported, "and now he's been watching the conduct and behavior of the Board of Trustees, and Tom Leonard has concluded the board ought to go as well."
Ferguson on Wednesday apologized for his remarks about the ongoing court proceedings in the Larry Nassar case. On a local Lansing radio show, Ferguson discussed the trustees' heavy support for Simon, saying the university has so much more going on than just "this Nassar thing." Ferguson was criticized for minimizing the case against Nassar, a former sports doctor accused of sexually assaulting women and girls as he worked at MSU and for USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.
A spokesperson said Ferguson recognizes the suffering of the victims and meant to refer to it as the "Nassar tragedy."
This came as the final witnesses spoke at the sentencing hearing for Nassar, who faces a minimum prison term of 25 to 40 years, on top of a 60 year sentence on a separate conviction for child pornography.
Both the Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics are accused of mishandling the case.
['Enjoy Hell:' Doctor's Sentence Next For Assaulting Gymnasts]
