MSU Dean William Strampel, Larry Nassar's former boss, steps down for medical reasons

EAST LANSING - William Strampel, dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, is stepping down from his administrative role today for medical reasons.

Strampel informed MSU Provost June Youatt on Thursday morning that he is stepping down, said MSU spokesman Jason Cody. Strampel is going on immediate medical leave but will remain on the faculty of the college.  

He has been dean of the college since 2002.

Strampel has been criticized for his role as the head of the college where Larry Nassar worked for two decades. Strampel led the college during a Title IX investigation undertaken by MSU in 2014 after Nassar was accused of sexually assaulting a female patient. 

That investigation found Nassar had not violated university policy. Relying on the opinions of four medical experts who worked for MSU and had close ties to Nassar  — including one recommended by him — the investigator determined the woman didn't understand the "nuanced difference" between an appropriate osteopathic medical procedure and sexual assault, according to university records. 

Strampel regularly checked in on the status of the investigation when it was ongoing, voiced his support for Nassar and told Nassar he could return to clinical work before the investigation concluded, according to emails. It's not clear whether Nassar did so. 

University emails obtained by the State Journal through a public records request indicate two versions of the final investigative report exist. One was sent to Nassar. The one sent to the woman had information withheld from the conclusion section. She is among the more than 140 women and girls who have filed lawsuits against MSU, USA Gymnastics and Nassar.

After the investigation ended, Nassar and Strampel reached an agreement on new protocols Nassar would be required to abide by. That agreement didn't include a follow-up mechanism to ensure Nassar was compliant. 

Attempts to reach Strampel on Thursday were unsuccessful. 

Nassar, 54, was for two decades an esteemed sports medicine doctor for both MSU and USA Gymnastics, which sent him to several Olympic Games. He also worked with gymnasts at Twistars gymnastics club in Dimondale.

He pleaded guilty in November to multiple counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. At least 125 women have made criminal complaints about Nassar.

Earlier this month, Rachel Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual assault, wrote that Strampel's decision to side with the doctor after victims came forward was one factor that left victims feeling that no one at the university was hearing their voices.

"It doesn’t fix the problem," Denhollander said Thursday, of Strampel's stepping down, adding that his response to victim's statements about Nassar was "absolutely abhorrent."

Attorney Jim Graves, who represents the woman whose report prompted the 2014 investigation, said he takes Strampel at his word that medical reasons prompted his stepping down.

However, Graves added that there were already reasons he should have done so, including the way the 2014 complaint and investigation were handled, and not implementing stronger protocols on Nassar.

"I view him as a key actor in this whole unfortunate episode involving MSU and women and girls being sexually assaulted by Nassar," Graves said of Strampel.

Graves added that he thinks other MSU officials who played a role in the 2014 Title IX investigation should "be held responsible." He said the university should have turned to medical experts outside MSU instead of the four who knew Nassar well.

MSU police also conducted an investigation following the woman's 2014 complaint. Ingham County prosecutors declined to bring charges. 

More:

Larry Nassar to appeal federal sentence on child pornography convictions

Putnam: Community deserves more insight into what went wrong in Nassar case

Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges earlier this month. He is set to be sentenced next month on the criminal sexual conduct charges.

Reporters Chris Haxel and Matt Mencarini contributed to this report. Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.