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Larry Nassar, USA Gymnastics, and Michigan State : Sports Abuse Scandals

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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    That's one "fuck you Engler" vote from the trustee Snyder appointed.



    Detroit News higher education reporter. This is to restore the Healing Assistance Fund. That's five trustees. Also the governor signed on today, but she doesn't have any direct power to change things.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Engler: Fuck all of you and your need for "accountability" and "justice":
    Michigan State University interim President John Engler said Friday he is done with investigations into the university's handling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, saying officials are "trying to go back to work" despite calls from victims and others for more scrutiny to bring resolution and accountability.

    Fuck you so much, Engler.

    Edit: There is only one appropriate response to this: Engler's firing.

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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    God dammit, Michigan. Hired one of the USAG VPs as a women's gymnastics coach. Who reported the abuse to Penny and then failed to follow up or do much of anything about it. Aly Raisman in particular is not a fan.

    Also they never announced the hire it seems like. Took the Michigan Daily noticing she was coaching the team at a meet for anyone to know.

    EDIT: Also also this is the position open because the previous occupant was having sex with the student-athletes.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Grrrr. Dumb move. How are there not other people to hire that aren't connected to this shit? I guess because it ran so deep into USAG.

    Has U of M announced any policy changes etc in the wake of this?

    Who is head coach now?

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Grrrr. Dumb move. How are there not other people to hire that aren't connected to this shit? I guess because it ran so deep into USAG.

    Has U of M announced any policy changes etc in the wake of this?

    Who is head coach now?

    Bev Plocki still.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Oh jeez I thought she'd have retired by now

    I used to cover that beat, would be a lot more work these days...sigh

    I'm sure the Daily will stay on it

    So It Goes on
  • GoumindongGoumindong Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Grrrr. Dumb move. How are there not other people to hire that aren't connected to this shit? I guess because it ran so deep into USAG.

    Because it ran so deep into USAG and anyone who was good ended up there. Once a core of people are corrupted you can just chain corrupt anyone that comes in the door. Either via convincing them they cant do anything (reports go nowhere) or by leveraging the power of the organization against them.

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  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    Goumindong wrote: »
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Grrrr. Dumb move. How are there not other people to hire that aren't connected to this shit? I guess because it ran so deep into USAG.

    Because it ran so deep into USAG and anyone who was good ended up there. Once a core of people are corrupted you can just chain corrupt anyone that comes in the door. Either via convincing them they cant do anything (reports go nowhere) or by leveraging the power of the organization against them.

    Of course it's real easy to make a logical extrapolation from that.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Not particularly happy with the press release from Michigan. Well, she did was legally required of her! Legal responsibility and moral responsibility are different things, you corporate nitwits.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    "I have come to the conclusion that it is not in the best interest of the University of Michigan and our athletic program to continue the consulting contract with Rhonda Faehn," said Warde Manuel, the university's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "It was the wrong decision, and I apologize. Our student-athletes are our highest priority and I want to do everything in my power to support them fully and put the focus back on their athletic performance."

    That was appropriately quick but god dammit you guys don't do this shit in the first place.

    So It Goes on
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Engler continues to demonstrate why he needs to be fired:
    John Engler, Michigan State’s interim president who last year falsely claimed that a Larry Nassar victim got “kickbacks” from lawyers for encouraging other women to speak up about Nassar’s abuse, has now said that the women who Nassar assaulted are “enjoying” the spotlight.
    “You’ve got people, they are hanging on and this has been … there are a lot of people who are touched by this, survivors who haven’t been in the spotlight,” Engler told the Detroit News on Friday. “In some ways, they have been able to deal with this better than the ones who’ve been in the spotlight who are still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition.”

    What a soulless goose.

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  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    1/17 the trustees will debate Engler's future. Again. I'm guessing they are in the second phase mode where they will kick Engler to the curb and eventually hire a new president who will promise a new start but will keep whatever Engler did in the past.

    Freep listed out all of Engler's missteps.

    There's several of them:
    Engler cancelled a $10 million healing fund set up to help pay for counseling for Nassar survivors. In doing so, he cited what he said was fraud of the system and said after the survivors got a $500 million settlement from MSU, they didn't need the fund to pay for their counseling. Earlier this month, the MSU board rescinded this action and reinstated the fund.
    In an April email uncovered by the Free Press and the Chronicle of Higher Education, Engler accused DenHollander of getting kickbacks from attorneys for filing a lawsuit against MSU. When it was released in June, it brought a new round of calls for the board to fire Engler, including one from now Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
    In April, Nassar survivor Kaylee Lorincz said Engler offered her $250,000 to drop her lawsuit. After Lorincz made the offer public and was highly critical of it, a top Engler aide sent a private email obtained by the Free Press in which she said any such claims were "fake news" and made up by survivors.
    After announcing he was creating a chief compliance officer position to be independent and work as a check on MSU, Engler folded it into an existing office and reportedly didn't give the resources the CCO asked for to run the operation.
    When the school's alumni magazine created an issue dedicated to the Nassar scandal, including several pieces critical of MSU's handling of the issue, Engler cancelled the issue. Instead an issue with a lengthy question-and-answer piece with Engler focusing on what he called the positive changes he had been making at MSU ran.
    Engler drew complaints for his hiring, with many saying he brought in his friends and political allies. Drawing the most vitriol was a three-year contract given to Bob Young, whom Engler had appointed to the state Supreme Court when he was governor. Critics said Engler should not have given out contracts longer than the time he was expected to be at the school.
    When the head of MSU's Title IX office — the department that handles sexual assault complaints on campus — left, Engler appointed Rob Kent as the interim head. Kent had been working in the school's general counsel office and had defended the school in various lawsuits brought against the school by sexual assault survivors who alleged the school didn't follow proper procedures. Those critical of the move said he wasn't the right person to reform the office.
    After MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis stepped down, Engler named Bill Beekman, then the secretary to the MSU board, as acting athletic director. He promised a national search. Later, Engler hired Beekman, who had no experience running an athletic department, without doing a national search. He said he made the move because the school's coaches, including head basketball coach Tom Izzo and head football coach Mark Dantonio, wanted Beekman to have the job.
    After a lawsuit was filed against MSU by a sexual assault survivor, MSU released a statement about the case detailing the visits of the person filing the suit to MSU's counseling center, a likely violation of federal student privacy laws. Internal emails obtained by the Free Press showed Engler was personally involved in the crafting of that statement.

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    "I have come to the conclusion that it is not in the best interest of the University of Michigan and our athletic program to continue the consulting contract with Rhonda Faehn," said Warde Manuel, the university's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "It was the wrong decision, and I apologize. Our student-athletes are our highest priority and I want to do everything in my power to support them fully and put the focus back on their athletic performance."

    That was appropriately quick but god dammit you guys don't do this shit in the first place.

    That does kinda smack of "Sorry.... that we got called out"

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    The rumor around the state today is that Engler has been given a resign or be fired tomorrow ultimatum. Wonder who the fifth vote to get rid of him is.

    EDIT: Free Press now reporting this.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Also the victim impact statements started a year ago today.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Given the choice between jump or be pushed, Engler chooses to jump:
    John Engler will resign as interim president of Michigan State University, multiple sources told the Free Press on Wednesday.

    The move comes hours after the board set a special meeting for early Thursday morning with the intent to fire him, the sources said.

    Engler has been under heavy criticism for the past year, since he took over for Lou Anna Simon, who herself resigned under heavy criticism for her handling of the Larry Nassar sexual assaults scandal.

    Heavy criticism is putting it mildly. Vaya con dios, you arrogant, soulless goose.

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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Applications are supposedly down significantly this fall/winter, which was probably the real final straw for whichever trustee flipped. Or maybe Snyder's new appointment doesn't suck. The biggest problem with him just resigning is we'll never know.

    I know Joel Ferguson wanted to keep him as of today and if the Michigan Democratic Party renominates that jackass I'll have to vote for a Republican.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular


    Official now. That's the new chair of the Board of Trustees. Engler apparently blames that Democrats were added to the board for his ouster and this was all just politics. Because he's terrible.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    My daughter asked what the definition of pompous was last night. After reading the resignation letter from Engler, that's an example of it.

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Michigan's gymnastics coach explained what happened with the whole Faehn thing on WTKA this morning, summary from an mgoblog poster:
    She was, I thought, contrite and admitted that in hindsight, hiring Faehn was a mistake. Plocki said she was only thinking about the reaction within her own team, and didn't think of how the larger university community would be impacted and would react.
    When she first had the idea of hiring Faehn, she went first to a Nassar survivor on her team and asked what she thought about it. The survivor was totally on board. Then she went to the team and asked if anyone objected. Nobody did. She said that if they wanted to message her privately to object, they could. Nobody did. The whole team was on board and excited about this.
    She then went to Warde (Manuel, the Michigan athletic director) and said she wanted to hire Faehn. Warde said no. He then had an opportunity to meet with the captains and get the team's feeling on the situation, and decided to OK the hire.

    Still don't think it was a good idea, but it seems a bit less irresponsible, especially on Manuel's part. Obviously still gets into the power dynamics of the coach/athlete relationship and do they really feel like they're allowed to say "no, this is a bad idea."

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Engler: I'll step down in a week.

    Board: You'll step down immediately.
    Engler sent a resignation letter under pressure Wednesday, offering to step down Jan. 23. The board moved to make the resignation effective immediately.

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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    Schlichting, the Snyder appointee, was apparently the fifth vote that made it inevitable. Apparently recommended by Brian Calley, of all people. That's one good thing Brian Calley did.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Acting (not interim, technically) president at MSU is Satish Udpa, formerly the dean of the college of engineering there. Should be a relatively short tenure, as a permanent replacement for Simon should finally be named in the nearish future.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    Michigan's gymnastics coach explained what happened with the whole Faehn thing on WTKA this morning, summary from an mgoblog poster:
    She was, I thought, contrite and admitted that in hindsight, hiring Faehn was a mistake. Plocki said she was only thinking about the reaction within her own team, and didn't think of how the larger university community would be impacted and would react.
    When she first had the idea of hiring Faehn, she went first to a Nassar survivor on her team and asked what she thought about it. The survivor was totally on board. Then she went to the team and asked if anyone objected. Nobody did. She said that if they wanted to message her privately to object, they could. Nobody did. The whole team was on board and excited about this.
    She then went to Warde (Manuel, the Michigan athletic director) and said she wanted to hire Faehn. Warde said no. He then had an opportunity to meet with the captains and get the team's feeling on the situation, and decided to OK the hire.

    Still don't think it was a good idea, but it seems a bit less irresponsible, especially on Manuel's part. Obviously still gets into the power dynamics of the coach/athlete relationship and do they really feel like they're allowed to say "no, this is a bad idea."

    $15,000 for her services were paid. The contract was month to month and she worked this month so got the $15,000.

    No wonder tuition is always going up.

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    lwt1973 wrote: »
    Michigan's gymnastics coach explained what happened with the whole Faehn thing on WTKA this morning, summary from an mgoblog poster:
    She was, I thought, contrite and admitted that in hindsight, hiring Faehn was a mistake. Plocki said she was only thinking about the reaction within her own team, and didn't think of how the larger university community would be impacted and would react.
    When she first had the idea of hiring Faehn, she went first to a Nassar survivor on her team and asked what she thought about it. The survivor was totally on board. Then she went to the team and asked if anyone objected. Nobody did. She said that if they wanted to message her privately to object, they could. Nobody did. The whole team was on board and excited about this.
    She then went to Warde (Manuel, the Michigan athletic director) and said she wanted to hire Faehn. Warde said no. He then had an opportunity to meet with the captains and get the team's feeling on the situation, and decided to OK the hire.

    Still don't think it was a good idea, but it seems a bit less irresponsible, especially on Manuel's part. Obviously still gets into the power dynamics of the coach/athlete relationship and do they really feel like they're allowed to say "no, this is a bad idea."

    $15,000 for her services were paid. The contract was month to month and she worked this month so got the $15,000.

    No wonder tuition is always going up.

    Nah, that's because of TV money for football.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • JaysonFourJaysonFour Classy Monster Kitteh Registered User regular

    Scumbags gonna scumbag. Good fucking riddance, Engler. And MSU needs to rename that plaza; I'd name it after somebody who spoke out and got Nassar fired. And then maybe go through and shitcan whoever agreed to do it at Engler's request.

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  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    Best quote about what happened:

    “I'm not sure this is a crime, but it has a lot of slime."

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Even the DeVos Department of Education says MSU was not following the law when it came to campus safety.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    MSU trustee Joel Ferguson opens mouth, inserts both feet:
    Joel Ferguson offers no remorse for what fellow Trustee Brian Mosallam labeled as John Engler’s “reign of terror” at Michigan State University.

    When the Board of Trustees accepted Engler’s resignation two weeks ago, the other six members who were at the special meeting took time to apologize to the survivors of convicted pedophile Larry Nassar or opine about the brighter future ahead.

    Not Ferguson. Instead, he sat quietly. But last week, confronted with calls for his resignation, he broke his silence in an exclusive interview with City Pulse.

    Ferguson referred to the public reaction of other trustees to Engler’s departure as a “grandstanding circus.”

    Fuck you, Ferguson.

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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    How do these people keep making public statements like this

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    How do these people keep making public statements like this

    Because Ferguson is so far up his own ass that he needs a proctologist, and he thinks that people will forget when his seat is up again.

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  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    One would hope the Michigan Democratic Party doesn't nominate the fucker again. He was recently replaced on the presidential search committee by Brianna Scott, one of the new trustees, so that's something.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    Of course, at the same time...



    Handwritten notes confirm what Amanda Thomashow has been saying for years: she told MSU police that Nassar tried to penetrate her (I think digitally) and was erect while doing so. MSU police and admin have sworn she never told them.

    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    Of course, at the same time...



    Handwritten notes confirm what Amanda Thomashow has been saying for years: she told MSU police that Nassar tried to penetrate her (I think digitally) and was erect while doing so. MSU police and admin have sworn she never told them.

    So, uh... that's actual evidence of criminal behavior, right? Please tell me people are getting charged for this shit.

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  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular

    Still gets his $425k contract salary for two more years unfortunately.

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Deadspin has released a longform piece about how the culture of Baylor created the environment where numerous women were assaulted.

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