OT: MSU digs hole deeper, Engler adviser: Nassar survivor's claims of payout 'fake news'

Meh, with MSU I naturally just assume the worst at this point. I mean, they've already dug themselves into an enormous hole, their reputation as an academic institution is already stained, so the thought process must have turned to "we might as well keep going because we can't be viewed any worse."

Spartans were notorious for continuing the fight long after it should've been over. Noble in some cases, but in this one, downright stupid and flat-out irresponsible. Could've saved themselves and their university a ton of heartache had they just collectively said from the get-go "we all fucked up, will do what it takes to earn your trust back, this is on all of us," yada yada yada. At least then you're trying to do the right thing. 

It baffles me how so many leaders at so many different levels across many different professions continue to do the wrong thing when the right thing to do is so blatantly obvious and staring you right in the face. 

And then Jalen in the background making faces.  This situation really has brought out the worst in this University.  The victims deserve better.  Just hate it when "responsible adults" don't take ownership.

a couple of weeks ago as opposed to U.S.-127 even though it was a longer drive, simply because I didn't want to travel through East Lansing and catch a raging bout of stupid. It's super contagious around there, I've heard.

people to begin to sort this out with candor and a concern for justice. 

To say that you're keeping quiet out of concern for the victims while you're speaking UP about them, refuting them, even accusing them [in aggregate!] of exploiting the situation for monetary gain takes SOME FUCKING DOING! And somebody approved the transmission of this email. Woe betide these numbskulls. 

And this morning it's also emerging that Moronie was raped hundreds of times by Nassar, while MSU had warnings dating to 1997. . . 

Why does Engler still have this job? What the hell are these people thinking? Anyplace else he would have been sent out of town on the next thing smoking.

This press release is itself the living, breathing definition of fake news.  

In a conversation with Lisa Lorincz in the crowded board room after the meeting Friday, Guerrant said her interpretation had been that Engler wasn't directly offering a settlement but engaging in a “philosophical discussion” about what amount would be acceptable. 

Yes, hundreds of young girls were sexually abused and here's Engler wanting to have a philosophical discussion. Is this for fucking real? 

Burn it all to the ground. 

As of 2:30 or so, the Freep's front page on its website has a giant ad for "A Dialogue with John Engler" and right underneath a top headline reading "Engler advisor: $250K payout claims 'fake news.'" I tried to post an image of this but it didn't work.

Think that advertiser will want their money back?

So this wasn't a press release, per se - it was an internal email from the President's special counsel to others on her staff, and presumably the BoT.  Somebody leaked it...  I get that she (Viventi) is trying to perform some damage control by, essentially, telling people to shut the hell up.  Unfortunately for her, it was leaked.  And she's probably the maddest, most incensed person in the state of Michigan right now!

While I understand her goal, she went about it in a completely stupid fashion and should be excorciated by the press.  How Engler and his cronies are still functioning is beyond me.  And even more galling is the BoT for sticking with him.  Anything worse than that?  Well, yeah, there is...  Where the hell is Snyder?  Adult supervision needs to step in, and he is nowhere to be found.

Is it ironic that their dipshit blog sites always bring up their "reasons for rivalry," one of them being Michigan voting against their entance being in the Big 10?  Because it seems like U of M had it right, and if money and athletic success weren't the only things that mattered MSU and PSU wouldn't be in the Big 10, and MSU especially deserves the death penalty.

in all my years and there are plenty of them seen a Scandal handled in a WORSE way than MSU...Attacking the victims, calling them liars, trying to make the players and MSU coaches  and Admin somehow the victims here . not the perpretrators..I am dumbfounded how bad this keeps getting for MSU...Each day it gets WORSE and really does expose them for who they are...all in the name of wins and losses for the FB and BB teams...that they are so DESPERATE to win that this would be allowed to happen then broadly covered up and then when caught complete DENIAL and attacking the Victims...I really do hope they bankrupt them now...THEY DESERVE IT

This is an interesting development. For one, the leak of this email trail is pretty significant given it has MSU's counsel talking about this issue on it. That is a pretty significant step to take to leak that to the press.

Also the article quotes a few board members (Lyons, Mosallam, and Byrum) as criticizing the administration's handling of this situation.

Both of those are significant in that there is a disconnect between Engler and some BOT members, and there are people (presumably the BOT) who want this to be made more public. That's a pretty big crack and the first time we've seen one made so publicly (and appanrelty intentionally).

At this point, MSU might as well adopt "Teneat Dolor Meus" (Latin for "Hold My Beer") for its official slogan.  They're asking us to choose whether to believe John Engler or Kaylee Lorincz.  I mean.... sure. 

There's no shortage of both stupidity and evil in the Hannah Admin Building; it's merely a question of which is in greater supply.

including most of the faculty and student body, just want MSU to fix the problems and change the culture going forward. Whereas, those in charge, are trying to minimize the problems, down play the seriousness and limit the cost. They seem to be fighting a battle that has already been lost.

Sorry, everybody, but MSU has a point here.

The news media really did jump all over reporting a claim that Engler had "offered" $250,000.  The media went further on that angle, suggesting that the "offer" was made by a lawyer connected with MSU (that would be John Engler, who has a law degree and who is a member of the State Bar of Michigan) to someone who has a lawyer of record, outside the presence of that lawyer.

The intent of the media scolds was to paint Engler as someone who was callously and even unethically trying to make a settlement offer that bypassed an attorney of record.

That is all so misleading as to be properly characterized as "fake news" although that is a phrase I have grown to despise and it would not be my choice.

The woman in question approached Engler herself, in public, and presented hereself to him as one of the Nassar victims and she had some questions/complaints for Engler.  By her own account, Engler then asked her if $250,000 would be sufficient for her to settle her claim.  Would that be a number that would satisfy her, or would it need to be much more?  It was a bad idea on Engler's part.  Perhaps if Engler had been doing litigation work for the last thirty years and not politics, he might have known better.

But what Engler does know, is that he is not an attorney of record for MSU, he's not a litigator, he has not been retained by MSU's insurers, and he had no settlement authority to extend.

Engler asked her a question, after she approached him.  By her own account, which I presume is an accurate one, Engler simply asked her a question that was in no way a settlement offer but rather was a discussion about the realities of litigation.

I have said this before: Michgan State is behaving like a defendant, because it is being treated as a defendant.  There is a cadre of contingency-fee lawyers who all want hundreds of millions in settlement, of which they might get a third.

It really is fine for people to say, "We want a new culture at MSU; we want new leadership; we want a full investigation, and we want changes made in how females get treated on campus and by the university's health system."  That is all fine.  If that were all that was needed, they could have a great big committee hearing Truth and Reconciliation complaints, and re-drafting every rule and protocol in the MSU books, and coming to a shared understand of what a monster Nassar was.  Even, an understanding of how Nassar was enabled and by whom.  I get it and that would all be fine. 

But what Engler knows is that what the plaintiff lawyers also want --  want more than anything in fact -- is a monster-dollar settlement.

This ends badly for sparty....very badly

Drip... Drip.... Drip.....

As a teacher I know of an extremely good senior student with all As.  Her whole life she has been a devout Spartan fan and her two parents both went to MSU.  She had teased me after every MSU victory over UofM the past 4 years and she was all set to go to MSU, but just changed her mind and is going to UofM now.  

MSU's constant mishandling of these rape cases played a role in her switching her life-long loyalty to MSU and choosing to attend UofM.

I am not saying that there will be a massive ground swell of students turning down MSU, but they may very well lose some great students who have other options.

Quote from the victim's attorney:

"MSU personnel have molested her, threatened her, lied to her, bullied her, silenced her, called her a liar and now the office of the president of the university accuses her of purveying 'fake news' because she dared to speak the truth," Manly said. "There is apparently no depths of depravity or dishonesty that Engler and his minions will not sink to. They clearly loathe survivors."