Horror: The Michigan State Sexual Assault Scandal

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Horror: The Michigan State Sexual Assault Scandal

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 170 years in prison for sexually assaulting more than 150 - mostly underage females - athletes while working for Michigan State University and United States Gymnastics.

Originally, it was believed that Nassar had assaulted around 140 victims, but when judge Rosemarie Aquilina set aside time before sentencing for Victim Statements, more than three dozen new victims came forward.

Nassar assaulted boys.
Nassar assaulted girls.
Nassar assaulted multiple siblings in the same family.
Nassar penetrated girls under the guise of offering new treatments.
Nassar stuck needles in the gentials of at least one boy.
Nassar assaulted victims with others present.
Nassar believes all of his victims are out to get him.

While the actual investigation into Nassar, as well as his plea and his sentencing, are over - here's the Indianapolis Star investigation that started it all, there is still much more to uncover.

When all is said and done, this case will be orders of magnitude worse than the Penn State football scandal that unfurled around five years ago. Why?

At least 14 Michigan State administrators and staff were warned about Nassar's behavior and did nothing.

It was believed that MSU was first made aware of Nassar's behavior in 1997. It turned out that it was first made aware in 1992, a full 25 years ago.

Multiple staff members of United States Gymnastics, including coaches, board members, administrators, and the famous husband-and-wife team of Bela and Marta Karolyi were aware of what was going on.

Not only that, but this ordeal has uncovered more abuses within United States gymnastics, such as:

The Karolyis forcing teenage girls to train through injuries

The Karolyis attempting to micro-mange the details of the everyday lives of their gymnasts, including ridiculing them for being "fat" so that they would eat as little as possible and train as much as possible.

At least one US National Team coach accused of ending a gymnast's career by picking her up and slamming her into a piece of equipment.

Treatment of national team members has led to multiple instances of mental illness, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and declarations from former gold medal winters that they do not want their children to spend one second in a gymnastics academy.

Three US Gymnastics board members have resigned, as have the AD and President of Michigan State, but not before trustees came to their defense because of their fundraising abilities.

The USOC has demanded that all remaining members of the US Gymnastics Board step down, or the entire organization will be decertified.

US Gymnastics cut ties with the Karoyis, but only after days of witness statements and public pressure.

Furthermore, the federal government is now investigating Michigan State, as is the NCAA, and there are likely many more details to come out in the upcoming months. Just this afternoon, ESPN has put up a report detailing that for many years Michigan State university has acted to suppress reports of sexual violence and illegal activity among anyone associated with its sports teams.

In the end, what happens to US Gymnastics and Michigan State? There are probably many different ways both institutions could be punished, and it may very well be that any punishments will be unprecedented.

Again, even though we know Larry Nassar will die in prison, this story is far from over. There is plenty to talk about, and to be honest I think this should be a place where we can discuss the warped treatment of young athletes around the world. Mistreatment of female gymnasts is far from just a US phenomenon. Though not as horrific, for years Chinese girls have selected for gymnastics national team pool have often been forced to train at more-than-full-time levels while being forced by the state to live away from their parents, and those who fail often end up without life skills - homeless in some cases. The Karolyis training methods were the norm in Eastern Europe. Girls around the world are often forced to train to the point where it actually stunts their physical growth.

Aside from that, not much is reported about mistreatment in youth sports academies even though it is a rapidly increasing problem. Here in the United States, recent years have seen a rise in "prep schools" that take in foreign students under the guise of helping them to receive D1 college scholarships, only for the students to be forced to live in cramped, unsafe conditions on forged papers while receiving almost nothing in the way of an education. Traveling sports are covering younger and younger age groups, to the point where parents are encouraged to have seven-or-eight-year-old kids specialize in one sport in order to try out for a traveling youth sports team. Scam football academies in Africa, and sometimes in Europe, "offer" children the chance to impress a big European team, only for many to end up destitute and helpless.

I think we can discuss both the Nassar case and general mistreatment of children in athletics here, because in the upcoming weeks I have no doubt that we'll see quite a few new horror stories uncovered.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 22:31

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 01:01

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Also, these gems were in MSU President Simon's resignation letter:

quote:

"The last year and a half has been very difficult for the victims of Larry Nassar, for the university community, and for me personally."

As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable. As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger. I understand, and that is why I have limited my personal statements.

"I did nothing wrong, but if you all want to blame me then fine I quit. Also I am a victim here too."

She's also getting a number of lifetime perks and hundreds of thousands of dollars for resigning in the midst of this.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 22:48

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

The sixteen remaining USA Gymnastics board members have just resigned, coming after the USOC's request of resignation or decertification of USA Gymnastics.

AsInHowe posted:

One other thing, as this unfolds.

Outside The Lines is eviscerating Michigan State this week, including Tom Izzo and Mark Dantonio. Michigan State covered up a lot of assaults outside of Nassar.

http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/22214566/pattern-denial-inaction-information-suppression-michigan-state-goes-larry-nassar-case-espn

Someone earlier described it as Penn State and Baylor combined.

The actual E60 documentary is coming on Sunday morning, 9 am. Just the preview article was damning enough to get MSU AD Mark Hollis to resign.

----

Also, Michigan State men's basketball is hosting Wisconsin tonight.

This was in the Journalism thread, and take it with a HUGE grain of salt since it's Barstool sports, but there's rumors that both Mark D'Antonio and Tom Izzo are next out the door.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 23:11

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

GobiasIndustries posted:

Gymnastics is like the platonic ideal for pedo predator doctors.

e: you're not wrong re: most universities having cover-ups, but the revenue generating sports are way more likely to have assaulters rather than have staff assault them.

Gymnastics also seems to be the platonic ideal for assholes coaches.

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 05:12

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

runoverbobby posted:

It is also understood in law that we have a responsibility to suppress our emotions and maintain a dignified standard of conduct.

Which, in cases like a man going to court because another man sexually assaulted all of his daughters, is much easier said than done.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 00:01

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

AsInHowe posted:

If only there were more warning signs that Larry Nassar might be a pedophile.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/01/us/larry-nassar-police-interview/index.html

Well OF loving COURSE the pehophile also turned out to be a Trekkie.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 00:33

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Aly Raisman did an interview with CNN

She says that the USOC hasn't reached out to her at all since making her Victim Statement against Larry Nassar.

Also from the interview:

quote:

As a gymnast training at Karolyi Ranch -- the US Women's National Team Training Center in Texas -- Raisman said she and her fellow athletes were afraid to ask for basic needs such as soap and adequate food.

"There was so much of a power dynamic where we never felt like we could speak up or say anything," she said. "We had like powdered eggs in the morning, the food was horrible, the showers smelled like rotten eggs, there were cockroaches on the floor."
Raisman told CNN she and her teammates felt powerless to complain about the conditions.

"I remember there was one time in the gym at the training camp, there was not -- there was no more soap left in the bathrooms and we were all talking amongst ourselves, kind of arguing of who was going to speak up about needing more soap because we were afraid to ask for more soap ... it just shows the power that they had over us."

# ¿ Feb 10, 2018 20:08

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Now it's USA Swimming's turn in the crosshairs

quote:

In the more than 20 years since Wielgus took charge of USA Swimming in July 1997 at least 252 swim coaches and officials have been arrested, charged by prosecutors, or disciplined by USAS for sexual abuse or misconduct against individuals under 18. Those coaches and officials have a total of at least 590 alleged victims, some of them abused while attending pre-school swim classes.

quote:

USA Swimming since at least 2010 has kept a list of more than 30 coaches and officials �flagged� by USA Swimming officials after being arrested or accused by law enforcement of sex crimes including rape and child pornography, but not disciplined by USA Swimming. Some coaches and officials on the �flagged� list have not been banned even after they have been convicted of felonies. Of the 32 people on the �flagged list� in 2010, only six have been subsequently banned by USA Swimming. The �flagged list� is not available to the public. Even when USA Swimming has banned coaches and officials for life for sexual misconduct it can be years before their names are listed on the permanently banned list on USA Swimming�s website.

quote:

USA Swimming has also paid $77,627 to lobbying firms to lobby against legislation in California that would have made it easier for sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers and the organizations they worked for or represented in civil cases.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2018 00:12

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

DO YALL WANT A BOXC posted:

came here to post this, loving christ

FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY VICTIMS

:stonk:

# ¿ Feb 18, 2018 00:27

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

DO YALL WANT A BOXC posted:

between this and gymnastics it's kind of feeling like our athletes should have "olympic athlete from USA" for next summer olympics, maybe that would actually get this poo poo the response it deserves

i have a feeling this is not going to be the only other olympic organization to have this kind of scandal either

This isn't the only country this is going on in right now. In recent months it's been revealed that a shitload of English soccer clubs employed youth coaches who were molesting their players.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2018 00:36

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Timby posted:

Morbid as it sounds, everyone should be taking a long, hard look at any Olympic sport that starts involving young people at an early age. I'm honestly shocked that we haven't heard anything from ice skating or skiing yet.

There's no way poo poo like this isn't going on in ice skating. Those kids start in special programs before they turn 10.

Seemingly every sport where children are coached on an individual basis is in grave danger of a scandal like this one occurring. Tennis is another where I could easily see a scandal like this happening.

Crazy Ted fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Feb 18, 2018

# ¿ Feb 18, 2018 00:41

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

DJExile posted:

MSU Interim president John Engler seems like a real winner

I'm not sure if this is cartoonishly evil or just a spectacular amount of ignorance and incompetence.

Or both.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2018 22:30

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

DJExile posted:

Sparty has reached a settlement with Nassar's victims for $500,000,000

And since it was reached so quickly one has to think that half a billion was on the low end of what the university could have been liable for in damages.

# ¿ May 16, 2018 23:06

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

DC Murderverse posted:

Minnesota's wrestling coach got fired a couple years back, thanks to the ever-popular (except among Athletic Directors) "snitches get stitches" policy:

Actually this kind of rules.

skaboomizzy posted:

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1014150577071288320?s=21

Maybe it's time to do something about the Big Ten?

The great thing about this is that we're already seeing allegations that these wrestlers are Crisis Actors or Democrat Plants or Paid By Soros or Whatever Bad Thing You Want To Call Them

# ¿ Jul 6, 2018 02:26

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Bird in a Blender posted:

And that's like not even half of the actual victims right?

Half? Try a quarter.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2018 22:25

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

AsInHowe posted:

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/07/25/larry-nassar-assaulted-prison/833106002/

That might be the least surprising aspect of this entire case.

# ¿ Jul 26, 2018 03:14

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

Fifty Three posted:

They absolutely saw that coming and gave zero fucks.

It reminds me of when Jeffrey Dahmer was convicted and the Wisconsin prison system went, "Oh trust us you'll be just fine in the General Population wing nobody will want to mess with you".

# ¿ Jul 26, 2018 18:03

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

elentar posted:

So it got worse again
https://twitter.com/reporterdavidj/status/1039556738368909314

So what isn't covered in the Tweet: the rape was videotaped, the coach who reported it was ordered to resign, and the victim was stripped of her scholarship

:gonk:

# ¿ Sep 13, 2018 03:12

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 01:01

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

skaboomizzy posted:

Ivanka.

The Karoliys

# ¿ Oct 17, 2018 06:59

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Horror: The Michigan State Sexual Assault Scandal