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MSU Trustee Says President Simon Will Not Quit

Mitch Lyons and Joel Ferguson photo
Scott Pohl
/
WKAR-MSU
MSU Board of Trustees Mitch Lyons (left) and Joel Ferguson (right).

A senior member of Michigan State University's governing board says President Lou Anna Simon won't resign due to the Larry Nassar scandal.

Joel Ferguson tells East Lansing, Michigan, radio station WVFN it "will not happen. Period."

There's a growing call for Simon to step down over how the university handled sexual assault allegations against Nassar, who was a campus sports doctor.

At a sentencing hearing that's gone on for a week, more than 130 women and girls have confronted Nassar or had statements read in court.

Many victims say they complained years ago but nothing happened. A former prosecutor hired by Michigan State said there's no evidence that campus officials knew what Nassar was doing.

Ferguson says there are "so many more things going on" at Michigan State "than just this Nassar thing."

He says Simon has been the best president in his 30 years as a trustee. Simon has been president since 2005.

Trustee Mitch Lyons issued a statement Saturday breaking ranks with fellow board members who said a day earlier they supported President Lou Anna Simon.

Lyons told the Detroit Free Press that he doesn't agree.

"I don't believe President Simon can survive the public outcry that has been generated by this tragedy." He called for her to quit, "to let the healing process begin."

To hear Ferguson's comments, click on the YouTube video below.

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