The Michigan State University Board of Trustees moved to release thousands of remaining documents related to the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal to Attorney General Dana Nessel's office after years of objection to the decision.
Trustees voted unanimously during a Friday virtual meeting on a resolution to release the withheld documents, which are the subject of an April request from the state prosecutor.
"I am so proud to be a part of this board on this historic day. We are sorry for all the hurt and pain survivors have experienced and continue to experience," said MSU Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar following the vote. "Today, we take a bold step toward a bright green future of truth. And I want to make sure we see the process through."
The resolution states that "the University desires to cooperate and provide finality to the matter" and authorizes the school's legal counsel to begin the process of sending the files to Nessel.
MSU Board of Trustee's resolution to release the Nassar documents
Nessel has argued for the release of the remaining documents for years to complete its investigation into the matter. The board previously objected calls to release them for years, citing attorney-client privilege.
“The students, the MSU community at-large, and most importantly, the victims of Larry Nassar have long been owed this transparency. I am encouraged to see the MSU Board of Trustees finally make the right decision on a long-promised, and long-delayed, measure of transparency," Nessel wrote in a statement released by her office.
“We appreciate the opportunity to review these documents and will reopen and expedite our investigation as soon as they are received.”
The MSU board had originally again declined to release the files following Nessel's renewed inquiry earlier the year. Nassar survivors sued the board and argued the trustees broke the law.
Danielle Moore is a survivor of the former doctor’s abuse and spoke to trustees during the meeting's public comment opportunity. She said the board’s decision to release the documents is a huge step in rebuilding trust in the university.
"By releasing these documents, this is a way for MSU to show that they are no longer that institution that enabled Nassar," Moore said.
Other survivor advocates admonished the board for the length of time it's taken to bring transparency to the Nassar case since individuals first spoke out about his abuse.
"I'm looking at one right now who was a freshman in high school when she first came forward and now she's almost ready to graduate college," said Valerie von Frank, executive director of Parents of Sisters Survivors Engage (POSSE), the group leading the lawsuit against MSU.
"I can't commend you for doing the right thing after eight years."
At the board's previous meeting, MSU Trustee Dennis Denno attempted to motion for the release of the documents. However, parliamentary staff indicated the motion could not be considered as it wasn't included on the agenda ahead of time.
Ahead of the vote, Nassar survivor Melissa Hudecz said she was pleased to see the Board taking up the issue, though she lamented that it came after years of opposition.
"There's the trauma that is perpetuated by the perpetrator, and then there's the trauma of dealing with the fact that MSU has continued to fail to do the right thing," Hudecz said. "I hope that MSU's Board of Trustees choose to act to represent the survivors rather than in the best interest of the university."
The board heard a number of other public comments at Friday's meeting. Several community members called on the school to withdraw its investment portfolio from Israeli companies over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Others spoke in support of Vassar following an ethics complaint earlier this year and criticized the university's decision to re-open classes next semester at Berkey Hall, one of the site's of the Feb. 13 mass shooting on campus.
Trustee Dennis Denno turned his laptop around a room, indicating he and Vassar joined the Zoom call in a room with several students and advocates who gave public comment. He said he was grateful for them making their voices heard.
"I want to apologize for the hurt this university and this administration has caused," Denno said. "I hope you consider me an ally. I'm trying."
