MSU’s alleged violations include repeatedly failing to properly publish crime statistics, warn students of potential criminal threats, and maintain mechanisms to report Clery-applicable information. According to the report, “Michigan State failed to compile and disclose accurate and complete crime statistics because its crime statistics did not include the sex crimes that Nassar committed during the years in which the statistics were reported.”

Earlier today, ESPN Outside the Lines published an article describing the preliminary results of the U.S. Department of Education’s investigation into MSU’s Clery Act Compliance. According to ESPN, “The U.S. Department of Education has found that Michigan State University officials for years violated federal law by failing to comply with requirements that aim to ensure a safe campus, systemically underreported crime statistics, and—in the handling of sexual assault allegations against former athletics physician Larry Nassar—demonstrated ‘a lack of institutional control.'”

The Clery Act is a federal law requiring federally-funded Universities to publish statistics related to crime rates and campus safety.

MSU’s alleged violations include repeatedly failing to properly publish crime statistics, warn students of potential criminal threats, and maintain mechanisms to report Clery-applicable information. According to the report, “Michigan State failed to compile and disclose accurate and complete crime statistics because its crime statistics did not include the sex crimes that Nassar committed during the years in which the statistics were reported. . . . These violations date back to at least 1997, and involve victims, many of whom were minors at the time of the abuse, who reported these incidents to trusted adults, including coaches and athletic trainers.”

The 46-page report was initially obtained by ESPN via a public records request, but ESPN did not provide the report in full. The University gave On the Banks the entire document, which is now available for the public to read.

Acting President Satish Udpa

“The Nassar crimes caused so much pain to so many people, and we have more work to do to address those issues and support the survivors and our community. We welcome the opportunity to work with experts to review and strengthen areas as we renew our commitment to improve,” said Acting President Satish Udpa in the University’s statement responding to the release of the report.

The University noted that the report is preliminary, meaning that the Department of Education will not issue its final findings until it considers MSU’s written response, which University spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant said the University will submit “in the coming weeks.”

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Tyler Silvestri Tyler Silvestri is a third-year law student at MSU who received his bachelor’s degree in Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy from MSU’s James Madison College in 2017. He spent one year as the Assistant Director of ASMSU’s Student Rights Advocates and two years as a Resident Assistant. He is the Chairperson of the University Committee on Academic Governance. He can be reached at Tyler@onthebanksmsu.com. See author's posts