Oversight & ethics enforcementSexual abuse & harassment

Michigan State ignored years of sexual-harassment complaints against Larry Nassar and his supervising dean, federal investigators found, and paid a record $4.5 million fine.

Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesMichigan · Oct 12, 2026

Subject of this story

Michigan State University

Larry Nassar, Former sports-medicine physician, Michigan State University

William Strampel, Former Dean, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University

Also named

Oversight

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights

What happened

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened a directed Title IX investigation of Michigan State University in February 2018 over its handling of complaints against sports-medicine physician Larry Nassar and his supervisor, Dean William Strampel. On September 5, 2019, OCR found the University violated Title IX by failing to promptly and equitably respond to reports and grievances of sexual harassment by Nassar and Strampel and failing to take steps reasonably calculated to end the harassment and prevent its recurrence, and MSU entered into a Resolution Agreement requiring a restructured Title IX office, new reporting and training systems, and OCR monitoring for three years. The same day, then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos separately announced a record $4.5 million Clery Act fine, saying 'too many people in power knew about the behaviors and the complaints and yet the predators continued on the payroll and abused even more students.' MSU announced in December 2022 that it had completed all 95 tasks required under the 2019 agreement.

Sources (3)

The Detroit NewsMichigan State University has completed 95 tasks mandated by the 2019 resolution agreement with the U.S. government following sexual assault scandals, including updating policies governing relationship violence, sexual misconduct and Title IX.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (Letter of Findings and Resolution Agreement, Docket No. 15-18-6901)OCR has determined that the University violated the Title IX regulation at 34 C.F.R. §§ 106.8(b) and 106.31 because it failed to promptly and equitably respond to reports and grievances alleging sexual harassment perpetrated by Employee X and the Dean and failed to take appropriate actions reasonably calculated to end the harassment, eliminate the hostile environment, and prevent the harassment from recurring.

CBS NewsThe government on Wednesday ordered Michigan State University to make sweeping changes and pay a $4.5 million fine... The fine is the largest levied under the Clery Act... 'Too many people in power knew about the behaviors and the complaints and yet the predators continued on the payroll and abused even more students,' DeVos said.

Response

Michigan State University

Statement given

Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.

Larry Nassar

Not yet contacted

Not yet contacted for this story.

William Strampel

Not yet contacted

Not yet contacted for this story.

What happened next (0)

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