Former Mich. State Student Adds to Lawsuits Against Longtime Trainer
More than 60 women have filed police complaints against the doctor.
Larry Nassar faces charges of sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography.
A former student at Michigan State has filed a lawsuit against the university and a former athletic trainer alleging she was molested at least ten times during her time at the school.
Tiffany Thomas Lopez, 36, filed the third lawsuit against Dr. Larry Nassar, a renowned Michigan doctor who has already been charged with child abuse and possession of child pornography. Nassar, who is named in over 60 police complaints filed by women alleging abuse, has pled not guilty to those charges.
Lopez claims Nassar inserted his finger into her vagina on multiple occasions while treating her for lower back pain but that when she reported the abuse to a supervisor she was ignored.
Nassar was a doctor for USA Gymnastics for almost 20 years and is accused of sexually abusing dozens of patients, including an Olympic medalist, according to NBC News.
FBI Agent Rod Charles says officials involved in the investigation have uncovered footage allegedly showing Nassar abusing girls in addition to finding more than 37,000 images and videos of child pornography.
The state has also charged Nassar with sexually abusing a girl described as a family friend over the course of six years in addition to the other charges against him. Nassar has pled not guilty to the state charge.
RELATED: How to Respond to Suspected Child Abuse
Lopez was a freshman softball player at Michigan State in 1998 at the time of the alleged abuse. She eventually began refusing treatment, stopped playing softball and left the school.
Michigan State has said the first time it received a complaint against Nassar was in 2014. As a result of that complaint, school officials put restrictions on the doctor that ensured another person was in the room during his treatment sessions, although prosecutors declined to file charges according to the school.
Nassar continued to treat patients at Michigan State following the 2014 complaint, and continued working at the university even after he was fired by USA Gymnastics for concerns raised by athletes in 2015.
Officials at Michigan State say USA Gymnastics did not inform them of Nassar’s firing.
Nassar was terminated by Michigan State after several former students came forward alleging abuse.
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