MSU, Nassar Victims To Resume Lawsuit Settlement Talks

LANSING, MI – Former gymnasts who say they were molested by former Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar said they would restart lawsuit settlement negotiations with the university. That announcement came Tuesday, the same day Nassar's former boss William Strampel was criminally charged for sexually harassing female students and neglect of duty for not doing enough stop the former sports medicine doctor.

Layn Phillips, a former federal judge in Oklahoma, will serve as a mediator in the negotiations, reported the Associated Press. The total costs of the lawsuits, including fees, settlement payouts and other costs, could hit $500 million, reported the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. That projection is based on settlements with Penn State University over the Jerry Sandusky molestation cases and the Catholic Church and its numerous pedophile cases.

The costs of the lawsuits likely will be passed on to taxpayers and, possibly, students. The Wall Street Journal reported that interim Michigan State President John Engler, a former Michigan governor, said tuition increases are a possibility. He also acknowledged bankruptcy as an option during a Michigan State Senate appropriations committee hearing, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Some 265 young women and girls were reportedly molested by Nassar since the late 1990s until he was fired by the university in 2016.

Nassar worked with gymnasts and other athletes at the university, as well as served as a consulting physician for USA Gymnastics. Nassar in January pleaded guilty in Ingham County and was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for molesting women during routine examinations at Michigan State. He also pleaded guilty in February to a similar case in Eaton County, and was sentenced to up to 125 years in prison. Additionally, Nassar was sentenced in December to up to 60 years in federal prison on pornography charges.

The Strampel criminal case also is likely to play into any lawsuit settlement negotiations.

Strampel, the dean of the Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine from 2002 until he stepped down citing medical reasons, was charged Tuesday with neglect of duty, misconduct in office and criminal sexual misconduct. According to a criminal complaint, Strampel harassed female medical students, telling them to stand and turnaround when they came into his office, and suggested that one student become a "centerfold model."

Strampel's work computer also had dozens of nude or semi-nude "selfies" of female Michigan State students, according to the criminal complaint. 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 patients.

Legislation currently being considered by Michigan lawmakers also will factor into an settlements. Under proposals discussed earlier this month, the statute of limitations for the lawsuit would be extended to 30 years from a victims 18th birthday, if the victim was under 18 when the assault occurred, and 10 years if the victim was 18 or older, reported The Detroit Free Press. The legislation also would remove immunity from lawsuits for public institutions, such as Michigan State, if the cases were not properly reported to police.

File photo: Larry Nassar appears in court to listen to victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing after being accused of molesting more than 100 girls while he was a physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University where he had his sports-medicine practice on January 17, 2018 in Lansing, Michigan. Nassar has pleaded guilty in Ingham County, Michigan, to sexually assaulting seven girls, but the judge is allowing all his accusers to speak. Nassar is currently serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for possession of child pornography. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)