MSU Settles With Victims for 500 Million

In my mind the culture that allowed this debacle to propagate was borne out of the athletic department and its desire to protect the Preciouses--the Ewok and the Petulant Toad--who for years have each had multiple sex assaults and other crimes perpetrated by their goon squads. In the past I would give grudging respect because their teams performed, but no more. I've lost all respect for Molest U and their Hitler Youth culture. Their long-held Michigan animus has finally morphed into an actual pathology. Fuck 'em all.

But the important question is, what are they going to do to prevent this pervasive crap from continuing???  

Three of my profs at Mich had in situ affairs with my classmates...  PSU was egregious.  MSU is more egregious.  The penalties seem to be less harsh.  Hmm...this reminds me of Monty Python sketch...nothing to see here.

This and other news ... makes me sad.

Chicago had it right... Michigan had it right (though for the wrong reasons and we came back)... we should dump the B1G.  But we have our own issues I suppose.

Never in my lifetime would I think that my identity as a Wolverine would be derivative of another school... but I am proud not to be from PSU or MSU.

This whole thing cuts like a knife and will never feel right.

It appears USC has their own issue popping up.  Yikes.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-usc-doctor-misconduct-com…

If the survivor sisters are ok with this, that's the main thing.  Going forward, while this certainly may not get as much headlines as before, MSU and USAG are still going to be pressed by them to enact meaningful reform, and based on everything we've seen from the women, I doubt they're going to go quietly - one of them is considering running for a trustee spot at MSU.  Good on her and her sisters.

Jesus. Does Michigan State even provide HALF A BILLION DOLLARS in economic benefit to the state? Perhaps its time to shut that place down and liquidate its assets. 

...but many times in our society, large payouts (civil cases or otherwise) are a meaningful substitute for 'justice' that appropriately grabs the attention of people in oversight positions, and serves as further motivation for them to get their house in order.

One would think that the essential moral concept of protecting children from pedophiles would be enough motivation, but as we've all seen, its obviously not - and so penalizing the offenders and enablers with serious prison time and financial hurt is also necessary.

Rachael Denhollander posted a statement on Facebook.

Excerpt:

I am very grateful to have reached a settlement with MSU that reflects the incredible damage which took place on MSU’s campus. I am thankful that the litigation phase is over so that my sisters and I can move forward.

I remain deeply disappointed at the missed opportunity for meaningful reform at the University. My choice to come forward publicly against Larry, and later against the institutions that allowed him to prey on children for decades, was motivated by the need for accountability and reform, so that other little children don’t live the nightmares we lived. This is a passion all of the Sister Survivors share, and one which has not diminished or changed. “Moving forward”, for myself and many others, means continuing to advocate, call for accountability, and stand for those who have yet to have a voice. This includes continuing to advocate for desperately needed accountability and change at USAG and in the USOC. I remain disappointed that resolution was not reached with these other organizations who also enabled a serial predator for decades.

Jill LePore’s article in a recent New Yorker notes that during the 1997 Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City bombing trial, Judge Richard Matsch tried mightily to limit the number of “victim impact statements” admitted during the trial’s sentencing phase, after the jury had found McVeigh guilty. Given that McVeigh’s bomb took the lives of 168 men, women, and small children, the number of persons “impacted” by his crime could climb into the thousands. Judge Matsch limited to 38 the number of victims who made statements; the jury sentenced McVeigh to death. Since the McVeigh trial, 32 states have enacted victim’s-rights laws, and some advocates are pushing for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing victim’s rights in all trials.

In Larry Nassar’s trial, after Nassar had been found guilty of the crimes with which he was charged, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina allowed 156 women to make victim impact statements. As author LePore points out, Nassar had been convicted of assaulting seven women, and a previous guilty finding on child pornography charges had netted him a 60-year prison sentence. Nevertheless, another 149 women or so addressed crimes for which Nassar had never been charged, “broadcast live, over seven days." Judge Aquilina then sentenced Nassar to another 175 years.

As LePore noted, “Some of what happened in the Nassar trial is as new as #MeToo. Much of it is as old as stoning."  

Unfortunately . . . 75% of the country thinks that Michigan State is The University of Michigan.

I get calls from relatives all the time: "What the hell is wrong with you guys?!"

I used to be able to clear it up by saying: "We're the one with the football team."

But that doesn't even work anymore.

For what it's worth, this is straight from the horse's mouth to the MSU community.