EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon submitted her resignation Wednesday amid an outcry over the school’s handling of allegations against Larry Nassar.
The announcement that Simon was stepping down came hours after the sentencing of Nassar , who worked at Michigan State as a doctor and received 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting young girls and women under the guise of medical treatment. Several of the 150-plus victims who spoke at the hearing were former athletes at the school, and many victims accused the university of mishandling past complaints about Nassar.
“As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable,” Simon said in her resignation letter . “As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger.”
Simon was promoted to school president in 2005 after moving up the ranks while flourishing in various administrative roles.
“We agree with Dr. Simon that it is now time for change,” Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Breslin said in a statement. “President Simon has served with distinction as MSU’s President for 13 years and has been a constant presence at the university for more than 40 years. She literally has devoted her entire professional life to this institution, and more than anyone else has helped make MSU a national and international leader in higher education.”
Simon’s resignation was welcomed in Michigan’s Legislature, where pressure had been building for her to step down or be ousted.
Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., a Democrat from East Lansing, where the campus is located, called it “an important step in moving the university forward.”
