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MSU trustees approve full release of Gupta termination report

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Interim MSU President Teresa K. Woodruff (left) listens as Board President Rema Vassar speaks during Friday's public meeting.
Kevin Lavery

Updated February 10 at 2:25 p.m. ET

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees is authorizing the release of an independent report related to the resignation of former business college dean Sanjay Gupta.

The announcement comes six months after then-MSU provost Teresa Woodruff pushed for Gupta’s departure.

Woodruff, now interim university president, claimed Gupta failed to report sexual misconduct as mandated under Title IX.

The board hired law firm Quinn Emanuel to investigate the matter.

Woodruff allegedly tried to block the release the firm’s report.

But on Friday, trustee Dan Kelly proposed a resolution to make it public, which passed unanimously.

“The board has requested that the report be prepared and finalized, and this motion authorizes the public release of that report when it’s completed,” Kelly said.

The issue has caused tension among the Board of Trustees and the administration and ultimately led to the resignation of former MSU president Samuel Stanley Jr. last October.

Several people who addressed the trustees at the Friday meeting said they were encouraged by the board’s decision to release the report.

MSU alum Nancy Vella supports Gupta.

She rebuked the trustees, saying he was wronged and must be reinstated.

“A well-respected law firm has exposed the shameful and hurtful acts performed by the interim president when she served as the provost…and yet, you continue to support her and let her control your actions,” Vella said.

Also on Friday, the Board of Trustees approved several infrastructure projects, including a new multicultural center, a turfgrass teaching facility and a health care research institute in Detroit.

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Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.