MSU student government: Change in leadership needed at 'highest levels' of administration

The Michigan State University student government says the school needs change at the "highest levels" of the MSU administration.

Asked if that meant MSU President Lou Anna Simon, student body president Lorenzo Santavicca told the Free Press that interpretation was accurate.

After the unanimous vote Thursday evening, Santavicca sent the resolution to MSU's Board of Trustees.

"Tonight I write to inform you that ASMSU (Associated Students of Michigan State University) strongly believes and firmly stands by the fact that we, as undergraduate students, no longer have the faith and confidence in the current administration of Michigan State University to carry out the duties of fostering a safe and secure campus atmosphere," the email, sent at 10:24 p.m., said. "Students can no longer place faith and trust in the current leadership of our administration."

More on Freep.com:

MSU's Lou Anna Simon arrives to court a day late and empathy short

MSU's Lou Anna Simon's apology to Nassar's victims rings hollow, and distant

The student government joins numerous victims of Larry Nassar who have heavily criticized MSU for their handling of the case during court hearings this week. Several prominent lawmakers have also called for Simon to step down.

State Rep. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, and state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., D-Meridian Township, issued a joint statement Thursday calling on Simon to step down over her administration's handling of accusations against Nassar, who has pleaded guilty to sexual assault and child pornography charges.

“It is clear that a lack of leadership amongst Michigan State University’s highest ranks allowed victims to suffer in silence for far too long," the pair said in their statement. "We owe it to every survivor who had to endure this horrific torture to not only bring justice to the perpetrator, but also ensure that changes are made at the university to prevent this from ever happening again."

Shortly after Singh and Hertel's statement, state Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, and Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, issued their own statement.

“In light of recent news, it is clear that the Michigan State University Board of Trustees should act swiftly to remove President Simon from her position at MSU," the senators said. "The Senate has lost confidence in President Simon’s ability to lead one of our state’s finest universities. The MSU community deserves better from its leadership.”

The board of trustees Friday asked state Attorney General Bill Schuette to review the events surrounding the Larry Nassar case.

"Although we have confidence in the integrity of the various reviews already conducted by law enforcement, subject matter experts and outside counsel to the university, we are making this request because we believe your review may be needed to answer the public's questions concerning MSU's handling of the Nassar situation," Board President Brian Breslin and Vice-president Joel Ferguson wrote in a letter dated Friday.

Also on Thursday, MSU's independent student newspaper called on Simon to resign in a blunt, front-page editorial. The State Journal's editorial board called for Simon's resignation in a front-page editorial in December.

The liberal group Progress Michigan also issued a statement calling for the president to step down.

Lawmakers who earlier called for Simon's resignation include Gretchen Whitmer, a former Democratic lawmaker from East Lansing and former Ingham County prosecutor who is running for governor, and state House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt Township, who is running for attorney general.

More: Whitmer says MSU trustees should 'seek and accept' Simon's resignation

Santavicca said the move by the student government has been building for some time.

"This has been a long time coming for our student government," he told the Free Press. "While the Nassar case has been building and we are incredibly thankful survivors have been coming forward, ASMSU has been talking about the challenges faced by our university administration broadly on sexual assault. We hope that the Board and administration will take our message to heart, and recognize that students are no longer supportive of the administration."

The Lansing State Journal contributed to this report. Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj