3 Michigan State Football Players Suspended Amid Sex Assault Probe

Three football players at Michigan State University were suspended from team activities Thursday after they were accused in a January complaint of sexual assault, university police said. A member of the Spartan football staff has also been suspended by the MSU Athletic Department.

None of the parties was named in a statement released by the university, but all face possible charges by the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office. The action stems from a complaint filed in late January, and detectives are interviewing members of the coaching staff and others regarding their response to it.

Also, MSU said, a separate Title IX investigation is underway to determine if the university’s Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct policy was conducted. Additionally, the university administration is hired an independent law firm to investigate the response of members of the football staff to the allegations to determine if it is in compliance with the university policy.

“Every employee has a clear responsibility to follow the university’s well-established reporting protocols regarding sexual assault,” university spokesman Jason Cody said in a statement. “MSU will not tolerate failure to follow established reporting protocols, interference with law enforcement efforts, or lack of cooperation with any Title IX investigation.”

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said in a blistering report that MSU’s mishandling of sexual assault allegations from 2005 to 2014 “may have contributed to a continuation of a sexually hostile environment” for students and staff. The report said that after the OCR became involved, the university’s handling of complaints “ultimately were thorough and equitable.”

The new allegations come on the heels of sexual misconduct allegations against Larry Nassar, a doctor at MSU who was fired from his job in September after an Indianapolis Star investigation of USA Gymnastics handling of sexual assault reports. More than 60 complaints of sexual assault have been made against Nassar at MSU, where he was a trainer for the women’s gymnastics team. He also was a trainer for USA Gymnastics through four Olympics.

One of two Title IX lawsuits filed against the university involves Nassar. The other was filed in 2015 by four women who allege the university didn’t adequately respond to their claims f sexual assault and protect them from retaliation.

Cody said in the statement that MSU has made “significant strides in making its Title IX program align with the best practices developed throughout the nation.”

“Sexual violence is abhorrent, and no member of our community should be threatened in this way,” Cody said. “MSU has been proactive in education and prevention efforts and is strongly committed to fostering an environment that encourages sexual assault reporting and supports victims.

“Every employee has a clear responsibility to follow the university’s well-established reporting protocols regarding sexual assault. MSU will not tolerate failure to follow established reporting protocols, interference with law enforcement efforts, or lack of cooperation with any Title IX investigation,” Cody said.

MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis said the department is cooperating with the investigation.

“The core values of MSU Athletics are clear, consistently communicated and non-negotiable. Among them are respect for self and others, accountability for actions and choices, and integrity,” he said. “Sexual assault is unacceptable, and members of MSU Athletics who fail to uphold our standards for creating a culture that is safe, supportive, and responsive to those affected by it will be held accountable. My expectation of all members of the department is full and complete cooperation with all investigations.

“We have a strong athletics program at MSU, one based on values, traditions, and an understanding that as Spartans we are part of something bigger,” he said. “Our promise to current and future student-athletes and to the entire Spartan community is to take the steps necessary, based on the facts determined through thorough review, to run this program according to the highest values and standards.”

Until the Title IX investigation is complete, the three student athletes have been removed from on-campus housing, Cody said.

Photo by Christine via Flickr Commons