Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon's resignation is being welcomed in the Legislature, where pressure had been building for her to step down or be ousted by the university's board of trustees.
Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., a Democrat from East Lansing, where the campus is located, called it "an important step in moving the university forward." He says a culture needs to be created at Michigan State "where survivors are listened to and believed."
Simon is stepping down in the wake of a scandal involving Larry Nassar, who worked at Michigan State as a medical doctor. Nassar was sentenced Wednesday to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young girls and women under the guise of medical treatment. Many of the victims accused the university of mishandling past complaints about Nassar.
Hertel, a Michigan State graduate, says Simon's "actions did not meet the leadership that we need at Michigan State" and that further investigating needs to be done to determine who "had reports and didn't act" beyond the president's office.
Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard (R) posted his response on Twitter.
Democratic leaders praised Simon for stepping aside.
Before her announced resignation, Michigan's U.S. Senators posted on Twitter that Simon resign.
