MSU Doubling Down on Lou Anna Simon?

Submitted by Everyone Murders on

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/12/14/msu-simon-strampel-nassar/108618490/

A front page (via web) article has some news that reminds us that the culture of MSU's administration is far more akin to the Penn State "protect the fort" culture we saw in the wake of the Sandusky-Joe Paterno scandal.

Not only is MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson making "vote of confidence" statements, but he is contemplating giving MSU President Lou Anna Simon a pay raise for doing a great job. 

Ferguson said Simon is “not going anywhere.” “We wouldn’t let her go anywhere,” said Ferguson, adding the trustees plan to issue a letter of her support for her. “She is doing a great job.”

It looks as though the Dean at the School of Osteopathic Medicine is stepping down from his deanship due to health problems.  (I think the medical term is "child-rape enabling visibility syndrome" - so he may end up being the fall-guy here.)  He's staying on as a faculty member, though.

William Strampel, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the highest-ranking official at MSU known to have addressed Nassar’s behavior, announced Thursday he would take the leave of absence for medical reasons. He will step down as dean but remain a faculty member, said Jason Cody, MSU spokesman.

The entire article is worth a read - it's looking increasingly like a cover-up from afar, and it seems that excuse-maker in chief Simon is getting the backing of the trustees thus far. 

FauxMo

December 15th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^

Agreed. Here's the thing: Lou Anna may not have known. That is entirely possible, as high level administrators rarely "get in the weeds" on most issues. She may also have done a great job otherwise, and have lots of support because of it.

But from the simple perspective of public perception and trust, not letting her go is wrong-headed. When an institution fails as badly as this one has to stop a serial child rapist, that institution needs to make lots of changes, and those start at the top, not the middle or low-middle. This is part of making a "new culture," changing leadership, even when those leaders have been otherwise effective. 

Even more damningly, while she may not have known, I would argue she should have. We are talking almost 20 years of this behavior, 12 of which came on her watch. Someone along the chain of command knew about this, and the fact that her upper-level subordinates somewhere in there decided not to tell her says all you need to know about her leadership skills. 

UMgradMSUdad

December 15th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^

I agree with your views, but there is also another factor: how can she be trusted to have an  objective assessment of what has been going on? She has a stake (and her public comments suggest this is the approach she's taking) in making sure any report that comes out makes sure that she and those who report directly to her are exonerated.  Only someone from outside the current administration can be trusted to view the situation without bias and create a credible play for moing forward.

Blue In NC

December 15th, 2017 at 5:03 PM ^

I agree with your points.  I would also add that you could make a case that she could keep her job if (a) she knew nothing, AND (b) upon first learning of this, she took immediate action including ordering a full investigation that was transparent, AND (c) those at fault are quickly shown the door, apologies are issues and immediate corrective actions are taken.  It seems apparent that at least some of that did not happen.

darkstar

December 15th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^

Same thing happened at one of my old jobs.  A cabal of people came over from another firm that imploded but kept the current guy in charge even though our office wasn't doing as well as it could.  Until they needed someone to blame for lagging performance so they promptly cut him loose.  

Not sure what MSU gains by keeping her around other than to not have to admit that they royally screwed this up institutionally.  Maybe so she takes the school's side in any future court cases?  A lot of civil cases to be settled.

You Only Live Twice

December 15th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^

"Not sure what MSU gains by keeping her around other than to not have to admit that they royally screwed this up institutionally."

That's exactly it.  As one of the plaintiffs' attorneys said, this is extending a middle finger in response to criticism.  By circling the wagons around Simon, the trustees hope to maintain the illusion that MSU had no culpability as an institution. 

There will never be any full disclosure or public accountability unless their hand is forced, and eventually it might be - the media isn't going to let go of this.  

 

Everyone Murders

December 15th, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^

Not only will the media pursue this (perhaps not like they would pursue a more serious matter, such as excess stretching), but the plaintiffs' lawyers will pursue this.  There will be deposition after deposition at multiple levels of the athletic and overall administrations.

The awful missteps by MSU's administration won't be easily painted over. 

TrueBlue2003

December 15th, 2017 at 3:46 PM ^

until there is proof you're wrong.  Then you're screwed anyway so adding liar to the list of sins doesn't matter.

This goes for any wrongdoing by any public figure, pretty much ever.  Rinse and repeat.

lilpenny1316

December 15th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^

I don't remember hearing an apology.  Even if the Prez was not made aware of all these activities, it is her responsibility as a decent human being to apologize on behalf of the university.  

She needs to be gone, along with Hollis.  This time last year, all the talk was about the football players getting kicked off the team.  There have been dorm cafeteria fights and alleged incidents involving the basketball team.  

They have tried so hard to beat us on the playing field that they've sacrificed the well being of their own students.

Watching From Afar

December 15th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^

I have a parent who teaches at MSU in a medical field. MSU sent out an email to current and past students, as well as faculty from Simon.

It had a line my parent and I found baffling in it to the tune of:

I have been told many times that these types of predators live in the shadows and live normal pulbic lives. I have been assured that there was nothing I, nor MSU could have done to stop him from doing these acts because these types of people will always find a way.

It's nauseating how they've passed all of this off as a "we did everything right, but sometimes the criminal is just too good."



As someone who grew up in EL and has (girl) friends who competed for MSU on their basketball, volleyball, rowing, and softball teams, all I can say is screw Simon and Hollis. Neither should have a job anymore.

lilpenny1316

December 15th, 2017 at 2:41 PM ^

The gymnastics coach that sat on this was an employee of MSU, therefore a representative of the school.  The school, technically, could have and should have done something.

I won't compare this to PSU to say one is worse than the other because they're both the worst.  I'll be curious to see if the local media will keep pressing this because the school is making a mockery of the entire situation.

Musket Rebellion

December 15th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^

When Bobby Williams was fired by MSU Joel Ferguson told everybody who would listen that it was a racially motivated firing. It had nothing to do with his team falling apart, his star quarter back developing such a bad coke habit that he had to be suspended, 2 losing seasons in 3 years, a 6 - 15 B1G record, it was purely racially motivated. 

He also is being investigated for racketeering alongside Virg Bernero: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/09/joel_ferguson_…

 

Don

December 15th, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^

on an Alabama radio station no less, and is widely criticized by many MSU people for long-time meddling in MSU sports affairs, even though he has no direct role in the AD. One of my family members has been a faculty member there for over 35 years and hasn't ever voted for Ferguson for trustee to my knowledge.

Alton

December 15th, 2017 at 10:23 AM ^

I could be wrong, but this seems like something that will fall under the Clery Act:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act

The Clery Act prevents schools from covering up on-campus crimes, and requires them to give timely warnings to their students and staff regarding any threats to their safety.  Just like the case of the murder of Laura Dickinson at Eastern Michigan University several years ago, MSU could be subject to massive fines and civil liabilities.

I assume that the so-called Trustees of Michigan State University are doubling down because they feel any admission of a problem will be seen by the government as an admission of a violation of the Cleary Act.

 

NateVolk

December 15th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^

The level of scrutiny on Michigan State has always been much less intense than it is on Michigan or a Notre Dame. Based on history of how the media has covered their sports programs, I don't believe it's an institution which has it's ducks in a row on how to minimize damage in situations like this. They haven't had sufficient practice in crisis and PR. 

The backwater LSJ and friendly Detroit beat reporters are not going away on this one.

I am a grad and proud of it. It's a very good state school. I am very uneasy about how they are handling this.

It's arrogant and foolish in my view.

 

1VaBlue1

December 15th, 2017 at 10:40 AM ^

Nothing about this passes the smell test anymore than the PSU BoT not knowing about Sandusky passes a smell test.  There is no way in hell that a pedophile investigation 20-some years ago into Paterno's football team did not involve the AD.  And there's no way in hell the AD wouldn'thave told his boss (the school Pres) about it.  And there's no way in hell the Pres would not have told the BoT that the nationally reknown football program - the same one that funds PSU's entire AD - was under a pedphile investigation.  It just doesn't pass the smell test.

Same thing at MSU - there is no way that Hollis wouldn't have known about all of these allegations.  And no way in hell that he wouldn't have spoken about it to his boss - Simon.  And no way in hell that the school Pres wouldn't have told the BoT about a pedophile investigation in the AD.

And yet, nobody in the media questions it.  Can't take a chance on losing your precious access, right?

ijohnb

December 15th, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^

don't even really think that accounts for it.  Is access to the Michigan State athletic program really that much to lose?  I have been shocked every step of the way on this that it really hasn't gotten any traction from the media, local or national.

In a way (not condoning it at all, just identifying it), it may that MSU did a remarkable spin job on this while using their football team's issues as cover.  They really painted that as a "reckoning" of sorts, when really all that happened is that select players faced consequences for their own individual conduct.  They didn't do anything to address a systemic culture, they just kicked a few kids off the football team.  But that is not what the press conferences would have you believe.  Hollis was "crying" at those press conferences, etc. and they said they were all going to "look in the mirror" and "make this a better place."

The effect of this is that the general public saw that Michigan State was getting its comupetence for all the "stuff" they had been hearing about but they did not stick around long enough to hear or realize that this was not really the "stuff" at all.

In actuality, it did more than this.  It set up a narrative where Michigan State was "getting serious and cleaning house," which only played the program up as some kind of disciplinary authority of college football.  Not only did this approach take the heat off of them for Nassar (and numerous incidents involving several different athletic departments), it actually allowed MSU to play LJ Scott without any scrutiny after he went Grand Theft Auto for an entire semester.

It would be brilliant if it wasn't so slimy, and so MSU.

In reply to by ijohnb

03 Blue 07

December 15th, 2017 at 5:04 PM ^

Actually, there are journalists who are following this and who are not going to ever let up on MSU. Obviously, the Indianapolis Star is on it-- they broke the original story. And, Deadspin has been on this story from the jump as well. Just yesterday, Dvora Meyers of Deadspin (who's doing great work on this), took MSU to task and pulled no punches: https://deadspin.com/michigan-state-cant-bury-its-role-in-the-largest-s…

And here's their other stories on the matter: https://deadspin.com/c/larry-nassar 

And here's the Indy Star's coverage; they've been putting out stories on more or less a weekly basis about this: https://www.indystar.com/search/Nassar/

If you ask why you're not seeing this on ESPN very often or on, say, CNN or ABC/FOX/Whatever, the simple and sad answer is that Michigan State just isn't of interest to most people. It's not a big name institution. Please note that I'm not saying this is the correct decision by the media, just that it is a truism that Michigan State is not all that well-known outside of the Great Lakes region nor is it of interest to most people. It doesn't move the needle.

Most of the coverage has actually focused on USA Gymnastics, with MSU somehow avoiding a lot of scrutiny so far. I suspect that's going to change going forward. 

Nobody Likes a…

December 15th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^

How can a group of people come to this conclusion? This is what happens when tribalism trumps logic. The process failed and young people were molested, how is this the response? This is fucking maddening

Don

December 15th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^

but I agree that the coverage has not resulted in the firestorm of attention that Sandusky did.

I think a major part of the difference between the PSU and MSU cases is that Joe Paterno was a national legend, and had been for many years. He was a household name for even casual college football fans, and PSU had played for and won national championships under him. He was widely regarded as representing everything that was "right" about college sports.

By contrast, Mark Dantonio is hardly recognized outside of the Big Ten, has never been regarded as a legend even within the conference, and has just barely gotten MSU into serious NC contention just once, and promptly got his ass beat. MSU is just not the name in football that Penn State is, and Dantonio has the all the affect of a painful hemorrhoid.

maizenbluenc

December 15th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^

Sandusky was football, as is Penn State.

If Nasser had been a men's basketball or even football doctor, then the attention nationally would have been 10x. If this past summer was an olympics summer - the attention would have been 10x or more.

This whole thing is in a sport that not very many pay attention to, unless it is an Olympic year.