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Giving Day

Nassar survivors to MSU board: Treat all survivors equally

EAST LANSING, MI (MPRN)--   Survivors of sexual assault told the Michigan State University Board of Trustees Friday that its actions speak louder than words. 

MSU has spent more than a year trying to turn itself around after revelations about former school sports doctor Larry Nassar surfaced. Nassar sexually assaulted his patients for decades.

Michigan State University’s new acting president has publicly apologized to the hundreds of Nassar survivors, but they say that’s not enough. During a Board of Trustees meeting, some survivors accused the school of failing to help survivors who came forward after an initial lawsuit against the school was filed.

Nicole Casady said, “Please stop treating me and my sister survivors like second class citizens. Like we are somehow less worthy to fair and respectful treatment.”

Trustee Dianne Byrum says the school is trying to reach a settlement with survivors who have more recently filed claims against MSU.

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County. Eventually, Cheyna took her investigative and interview skills and moved on to journalism. She got her masters at Michigan State University and was a documentary filmmaker, podcaster, and freelance writer before finding her home with NPR. Very soon after joining MPRN, Cheyna started covering the 2016 presidential election, chasing after Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and all their surrogates as they duked it out for Michigan. Cheyna also focuses on the Legislature and criminal justice issues for MPRN. Cheyna is obsessively curious, a passionate storyteller, and an occasional backpacker. Follow her on Twitter at @Cheyna_R