I'd be remiss if I didn't spend some time writing about the Larry Nassar scandal.
It has been a time of embarrassment and shame for the entire MSU community. The scope of Larry Nassar's abuse of his patients certainly stupefied and horrified me, and probably everybody else who has been paying attention to the trial. What is even worse is that Nassar was able to engage in this activity for decades without being stopped by anyone.
All of the women who came forward to testify in court deserve a tremendous amount of credit for their bravery, and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina also deserves praise for allowing anyone who wished to speak the opportunity to come forward.
I called for Lou Ann Simon to step down as president, and I am satisfied that she did so yesterday. Though I do not think she should be vilified (at least not yet. Who knows what will be discovered in the independent investigation of the scandal) her leadership has been lacking throughout this ordeal.
It has been terrible to see Michigan State University, a place I hold dearly, raked through the mud in the national news throughout the last several weeks. But I can't say it wasn't deserved. I hope that the university can learn from all the mistakes that were made and begin the healing process.
