Criticizing John Engler's "abhorrent behavior," more than 120 victims of Larry Nassar have signed a letter Tuesday urging the Michigan State University Board of Trustees to replace the interim president.

The 126 "sister survivors" -- who include Olympian Aly Raisman, and Rachael Denhollander, the first Nassar victim to publicly accuse him of sexual abuse -- are joining two MSU trustees as well numerous Republican and Democratic lawmakers in calling for Engler's ouster.

"While our hope had been that President Engler would bring accountability, transparency, and change to MSU, it is clear to us that he cannot," said the four-page letter.

"President Engler's statements and behavior are subtle threats against anyone who dares to speak up against their abuser and the environment that enabled their predatory conduct, lest they be ridiculed, lied about, and shamelessly mocked by a person of immense power," the letter continued.

The MSU board is scheduled to meet Friday morning.

Engler has been under fire since an email became public last week in which he accused Denhollander of taking a "kickback" from plaintiff attorney John Manly.

The April 15, 2018, email from Engler to MSU Vice President and Special Counsel to the President Carol Viventi was obtained by the Chronicle of Higher Education through an open records request.

Engler wrote: "The survivors now are being manipulated by trial lawyers who in the end will each get millions of dollars more than any of individual survivors with the exception of Denhollander who is likely to get kickback from Manley for her role in the trial lawyer manipulation."

In their letter, the women wrote, "The most recent public disclosure of emails only further reveals the damaging mindset he has towards sexual abuse survivors who come forward. President Engler clearly views sexual abuse survivors as either manipulators out to use people for personal gain (having the same mindset as our abuser), or as themselves manipulated into being used by someone for personal gain (victims yet again).

"To President Engler, board members who support him, and other leaders at MSU who agree with his position, we say 'no,' " the letter said. "We have not become like our abuser - manipulating for self-gain. We chose to speak up at great personal cost because it was right. Because we care about those still silenced. Because we stand to protect those who are still at risk. Future and current survivors who have not yet spoken up need to know that they will not be attacked and assigned the same motivations as their abuser when they demand justice."

MSU trustees Brian Mosallam and Dianne Byrum were among those calling on Engler to resign.

Mossallam released a statement Tuesday saying: "I applaud the sister survivors' statement this morning calling on the MSU board of trustees to fire interim president John Engler. As I stated last week, it is clear to me that MSU will not be able to heal until John Engler is gone from our campus. Bluster may work in Lansing, but this is East Lansing, and in this town, we treat each other with respect and dignity. Especially survivors of sexual abuse. I hope my colleagues, each of whom have a daughter of their own, take accountability for Engler's failure to lead us out of this crisis, and join me and Dianne Byrum in telling John that his time is up."

Nassar, now serving a 60-year prison sentence in federal prison, is a former MSU doctor who pleaded guilty to molesting patients under the guise of medical treatment. More than 300 women have alleged abuse, including Olympic gold-medal gymnasts who were abused while Nassar was serving as the Olympic gymnastics team doctor.

Multiple victims said they expressed concerns to various MSU officials over the years about Nassar's treatments, only to have those concerns dismissed.

MSU has tentatively agreed to pay $500 million to the 332 plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against MSU in connection with Nassar. The settlement also covers future plaintiffs.