GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse former sports medicine doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, is hopeful that Michigan State University is “heading to a better place” following the resignation of Interim President John Engler.

But “a lot of work” is still needed to ensure the university is transparent and accountable to sexual assault victims, she told reporters Tuesday, prior to speaking at Calvin College’s January Series event.

“An independent investigation where attorney client privilege is waived to find out how they could have housed one of the worst pedophiles in recorded history still needs to be done,” Denhollander said. “There’s a lot of work left to do, but I do have hope.”

Denhollander, a Christian and mother of four who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, spoke for about an hour at the Grand Rapids Christian liberal arts college, touching on themes ranging from justice and forgiveness to the duty to speak up and hold accountable perpetrators of sexual abuse.

“As a Christian, you should be the most equipped to condemn sexual abuse and injustice in any form,” she said. “You should be the most equipped to speak the truth about the vileness and destruction that it wreaks. You are the most equipped to tell people who are suffering that was evil and it was wrong and it matters to me because it matters to God.”

Nassar, under the guise of medical treatment, molested Denhollander in 2000 when she was a 15-year-old gymnast being treated at MSU’s sports-medicine clinic.

She came forward to report her abuse in 2016 after she read an Indianapolis Star expose on USA Gymnastics’ alleged mishandling of sexual-abuse allegations. Nassar wasn't mentioned in the Star's August 2016 report. But Denhollander thought the investigation offered an opportunity to bring Nassar, who in addition to working for MSU was a doctor for USA Gymnastics, to justice.

She went on to become one of the visible and outspoken Nassar victims, and many women have cited her example in coming forward with their own stories. She was the last of 156 women to give a victim impact statement at Nassar’s epic, seven-day sentencing hearing in Ingham County Circuit Court in January 2018.

And that April, she was named one of Time magazine’s 2018 list of 100 Most Influential people.

She’s also been a critic of former Michigan Gov. John Engler. He was named MSU’s interim president in January 2018 following the resignation of Lou Anna Simon, but had a contentious relationship with Nassar survivors and the MSU community from the start.

The rocky relationship came to a head after Engler, in an editorial board meeting with the Detroit News, said some Nassar survivors were “enjoying the spotlight” while the university is “trying to go back to work.”

Engler resigned last week, after the board made clear it would fire him if he didn’t do so. Satish Udpa, the university’s vice president of administrative services, was appointed as his replacement as the board of trustees continues its search for a permanent president.

Denhollander said she’s “encouraged by the tone that Mr. Upda has set so far” and is rooting for his success. Looking forward, she says the university’s next president must value “transparency, accountability, respect for people.”

“When you have those core values at the center of your institution, whether it’s a university, a church, anywhere, that will help navigate you toward doing the right thing when it counts the most,” she said.

Engler’s resignation letter to the board was 11 pages, and highlighted numerous changes made during his tenure. They included adding 24-hour mental health and emotional service for students through a phone app, restructuring the university’s health colleges, and establishing a workgroup on relationship violence and sexual assault and implementing its key recommendations.

But MSU still needs to conduct an independent investigation “where attorney client privilege is waived to find out how” the university could have “housed one of the worst pedophiles in recorded history,” Denhollander told reporters.

Her request was an apparent reference to remarks made by William Forsyth, a retired Kent County prosecutor heading the investigation. He was appointed independent special counsel by former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate MSU’s response to Nassar’s actions. In an update on his investigation given last month, he accused the university of stonewalling his investigation and said the university had asserted attorney-client privilege “even when it did not apply.”

An MSU spokesperson could not be reached Tuesday afternoon to discuss whether the university will conduct such an investigation.

During her Calvin lecture, delivered to a full house at the college’s Covenant Fine Arts Center, Denhollander urged those in attendance to be careful how they talk about people who have suffered sexual abuse.

“When there is something that happens culturally in politics, in church, in society where someone speaks up and abuse becomes a national story, be very careful what you say,” she said. “Because how you talk about that woman or man that has raised an allegation of abuse is sending a very clear message to people in your life who you do not know who could be crushed by your words because they know that’s how they talk about her, or him, that’s what they really think about me, too.”

“Survivors will never come forward unless you are a safe place, and they are always watching what you say.”