Boss Who Reinstated Larry Nassar Is Arrested

For the bulk of the time Larry Nassar worked for Michigan State University's osteopathic medical school, William Strampel was the dean of that school. Now, another shared experience for the men: Strampel, 70, was arrested Monday on charges that have not yet been made public. A press conference is scheduled for noon Tuesday, reports the Lansing State Journal. The attorney who represents scores of women who are suing MSU praised the Attorney General's action, saying "it demonstrates that he is serious about investigating the systemic misconduct at MSU that led to the largest child sex abuse scandal in history." Strampel stepped down in December citing medical issues; two months later the school initiated the process of firing him.

ESPN details alleged grievances about Strampel that are unrelated to Nassar—per MSU performance reviews it viewed, he was accused of regularly making sex-related remarks—and also documents his timeline with Nassar. Though Strampel became dean in 2002, he says his only true interaction with Nassar began after a complaint was lodged against the doctor in 2014. No wrongdoing was uncovered by Michigan State's Title IX office, and so Strampel reinstated Nassar so long as he followed a new protocol that included stipulations like having a chaperone present during any treatment that occurred near a young patient's genitalia. Strampel says he did not verify Nassar was adhering to the rules, and fired him in 2016 after learning he wasn't. MLive reports 20 women accused Nassar of abusing them during that period. (More Larry Nassar stories.)