MSU to Spend Over $250K on Ex-President’s Legal Defense
The university has spent around $129K so far in court fees on the former president and has been billed for at least $140K more.
MSU is responsible for covering the legal fees related to Simon under a university policy.
The legal fees for Michigan State University related to the Larry Nassar sexual assault case are far from over, especially as it defends former MSU President Lou Anna Simon.
Simon, who stepped down from her 13-year reign last January, was charged with lying to police during an investigation regarding the Nassar scandal.
She was charged with two felony counts and two misdemeanor counts for allegedly lying to state police in May 2018.
Now, under a university indemnification policy, MSU is responsible for covering the legal fees related to Simon, according to WWMT.
“The indemnity extends to expenses including attorney fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement, actually and reasonably incurred, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding where such person had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful,” the policy states.
Statements from the law office of Silver & Van Essen, P.C., show MSU has already made eight payments, totaling $129,399.70, as of the end of Jan. 2019.
On top of that amount, the university still owes $146,446.65 in legal fees, which do not include the charges from Simon’s first preliminary court appearance in back in February.
The amount is expected to grow as more hearings are scheduled in April and possibly beyond.
MSU is also paying for the legal fees related to defending Kathie Klages, MSU’s former gymnastics coach.
Nassar’s victims say they reported Nassar to Klages, who allegedly discouraged them from reporting him further. Klages is also facing charges for allegedly lying to police.
Additionally, the university will pay for part of William Strampel’s defense. Strampel, the former dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at MSU, oversaw Nassar.
He has since been charged with criminal sexual conduct involving female medical students as well as failing to enforce or monitor protocols set for Nassar after a female patient complained of inappropriate sexual conduct.
You can read all Campus Safety’s articles on the Larry Nassar case here.
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About the Author
Katie Malafronte, Web Editor
Katie Malafronte is Campus Safety's Web Editor. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Writing & Rhetoric. Katie has been CS's Web Editor since 2018.
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