Charges Against Ex-MSU Medical School Dean Detailed

LANSING, MI – The former dean of Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine is facing criminal charges for allegedly inappropriately touching a student and storing nude photos of female students on his work computer. William Strampel previously was the boss of Larry Nassar.

Strampel was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Richard Ball in East Lansing. Bond was set at $25,000 personal recognizance. Strampel is prohibited from having contact with victims, witnesses or any current or former Michigan State University medical students.

A criminal complaint charges Strampel with a felony charge of misconduct in office, a misdemeanor of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree and two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty. The charges were detailed during a press conference Tuesday by William Forsyth, a special prosecutor appointed by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate the handling of reports of sexual abuse by Nassar.

Strampel had been the dean of the medical school from 20o2 until December, when he stepped down citing medical reasons. Nassar earlier this year was convicted in Eaton and Ingham counties for separate cases involving molesting young women and girls as a team doctor for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics.

During the press conference, Forsyth noted that Strampel used his office to "harass, discriminate, demean, sexually proposition, and sexually assault female students in violation of his statutory duty as a public officer." The criminal complaint describes in graphic detail Strampel's behavior as dean and how he behaved with some female students.

In one incident, during a meeting with a 26-year-old student, Strampel allegedly told her that "26-year-old women can 'put-out' for 20 minutes with an old man, after which he would fall asleep, and in return the women could get the benefit of a free vacation."

Another women told investigators that Strampel had summoned her to his office after she fell asleep in his class. Strampel "directed her to a chair but told her not to sit," the complaint alleges. "He instructed her to turn around in a circle twice so that he could observe her body." He also went on a rant, saying, "she was never going to make it in the profession if she did not dress sexier."

In yet another case, Strampel suggested to a female student who had failed an exam and missed the grade to continue in medical school that tshe become "a centerfold model" and told her of another female medical student "who became a stripper to pay for medical school," the complaint alleges.

During the investigation, an examination of Strampel's computer revealed approximately 50 photos of women's genitals, nude and semi-nude women, sex toys and pornography. Many of these photos are of what appear to be "selfies" of female MSU students, as evidenced by the MSU clothing and piercings featured in multiple photos.

In addition to finding pornographic videos on Strampel's work computer, criminal investigators also discovered a video of Nassar performing a "treatment" on a female patient, reported The Detroit News on Tuesday.

The neglect of duty charges specifically relate to his "supervision – or quite frankly his lack of supervision – of Larry Nassar," Forsyth said. The complaint indicates that Strampel allowed Nassar to continue seeing patients before a Title IX investigation into the reports against Nassar was resolved.

In interviews with investigators, Strampel said he did not follow up on directives to Nassar that he have a third person present during the exams he performed, according to the complaint. Nassar was fired by the university in 2016.

Nassar, a long-time doctor who worked with gymnasts at Michigan State and USA Gymnastics, was convicted earlier this year in two separate cases, one in Ingham County and the other in Eaton County, for molesting dozens of young women and girls during routine exams. During sentencing hearings, many of the women provided tearful statements and condemned Michigan State and USA Gymnastics officials for not responding to their reports of abuse.

In the two Michigan cases, he was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. He also was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on pornography charges in December.

Since Nassar's conviction, Michigan State and USA Gymnastics have come under a torrent of criticism for not reacting quicker to complaints made by girls and young women about the abuse. Many of Nassar's victims say they complained to coaches, trainers and university officials, but their claims fell on deaf ears.

Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon resigned and athletic director Mark Hollis retired in the wake of the controversy. The university has appointed former Michigan Gov. John Engler as interim president.

Strampel is next scheduled to appear in court on April 27 and May 3.

Photo of William Strampel by Michigan Attorney General's Office