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Michigan State University has been cleared in the National Collegiate Athletic Association investigation into whether it properly handled reports of sexual assaults committed by former university doctor Larry Nassar, according to the institution.
The NCAA found Michigan State didn’t violate association rules with the Nassar case, according to a statement from the university, which said that Jonathan F. Duncan, the NCAA’s vice president of enforcement, wrote in a letter to officials telling them that "it does not appear there is a need for further inquiry."
Michigan State was also cleared in the NCAA investigation over sexual misconduct allegations against members of the football and men’s basketball teams, the university said.
“We welcome closure in regards to the NCAA inquiry. MSU cooperated fully with the inquiry over the past several months and provided all requested documentation and access to key personnel,” athletics director Bill Beekman said in a statement.
"In regards to the crimes committed on our campus by Larry Nassar, the NCAA findings do not change a thing. NCAA member organizations have a specific set of rules to which we hold each other accountable. And while we agree with the NCAA that we did not commit a violation, that does not diminish our commitment to ensure the health, safety and wellness of our student athletes. That pledge permeates everything we do as part of a larger university commitment to making MSU a safer campus."
Beekman said in his statement that the NCAA’s findings validate how head football coach Mark Dantonio and head men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo are administering their programs.
“Mark and Tom represent the athletic department and Michigan State University with integrity,” Beekman said.
The investigations follow Nassar’s highly publicized trial and sentencing -- he will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found to have sexually assaulted hundreds of women and girls both at Michigan State and in his role as a physician for the United States gymnastics team. Michigan State has settled with victims from the institution to the tune of $500 million.
The accusations against the two athletics programs stem from an ESPN report from January.
