Charges dismissed against former president of Michigan State University
A judge has dismissed charges against former Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon in connection with the investigation of Larry Nassar.
The Lansing State Journal reports that Simon had been charged with lying to police about her knowledge of a 2014 sexual assault complaint against Nassar, the university sports medicine doctor who sexually abused young women and girls for decades under the guise of medical treatment.
Eaton County Circuit Court Judge John Maurer dismissed the case, saying the prosecution evidence was not sufficient to support the charges.
[FROM OCTOBER 2019: Former MSU president will stand trial on charges of lying to police]
Maurer's ruling came five days after Simon's attorneys and state prosecutors argued in court over a motion to dismiss.
The State News says Simon had been facing two misdemeanors and two felonies.
The charges included two counts of lying to a peace officer in a violent crime investigation and two counts of lying to a peace officer in a four-year or more crime investigation, which is a high-court misdemeanor.
Simon resigned as president of Michigan State on Jan. 24, 2018, the same day that Nassar, who worked in MSU's sports medicine clinic, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for multiple sex crimes. Nassar also is serving a 60-year sentence on child pornography charges.
Hundreds of young women came forward and accused Nassar of using his position at MSU, as a USA Gymnastics team doctor and at Twistar's gymnastics gym to abuse young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.
