Two current Michigan State University Trustees and the two who were elected to take office in January are criticizing interim President John Engler for closing a fund set up to aid Larry Nassar sexual assault survivors.
Trustees Brian Mosallam and Dianne Byrum were joined by Trustees-elect Kelly Tebay and Brianna Scott in issuing a statement that they intend to bring up the topic of closing the fund amongst current and future boards.
Mosallam says the decision is counter to the recommendation of MSU’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Committee. “If we’re going to take the advice of experts of a committee that he formed," Mosallam says, "I think his decision was wrong.”
Mosallam says other current board members were invited to join in signing the statement. He adds that he thinks there’s a “general consensus” to find a way to reinstate the fund.
On Tuesday, Engler announced that the Healing Assistance Fund would be folded into the $500-million fund established to pay a civil lawsuit settlement with hundreds of Nassar survivors.