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“In my nightmares, I used to see Larry Nassar’s face. Now I see yours.”

-Larry Nassar Survivor Alexandra Bourque to the MSU Board of Trustees, December 13, 2019.

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THU R SDAY, JA NUA RY 23, 2020

Vol. 110 | No. 18

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020

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Karen Dunnam, also known as “the tuba lady” from the first Women’s March in Washington D.C. in 2017, makes her presence known during the Women’s March On Lansing 2020 on Jan. 18, hosted by the Blue Brigade. PHOTO BY ALYTE KATILIUS

MORE STORIES FROM OUR SURVIVORS ISSUE ONLINE AT STATENEWS.COM

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

This community still stands by survivors

By Madison O’Connor moconnor@statenews.com As The State News’ editorin-chief, I was tasked with introducing this issue, our survivors issue.

I wrote and rewrote this note a dozen times — I don’t know how to put into words how deeply the last three and a half years affected me and how they fundamentally altered our community. I’m sure they’ve had a strong impact on you, too.

What I know is this: During the last three years, I have been angry. I have been ashamed. I have been confused, afraid and lost.

But I’ve also been hopeful.

Around this time three years ago, Michigan State was finally starting to address

accusations of sexual abuse against its former renowned doctor. Two years ago was Larry Nassar’s sentencing, the downfall of former President Lou Anna K. Simon and an outpouring of activism. And just last year, John Engler resigned following nearly 12 controversial months as interim president.

But this January feels different. In some ways, it feels like we’ve moved on, inching closer to another chapter. News about MSU’s administration no longer breaks every day. There aren’t marches or rallies or protests every other weekend. I don’t see small teal ribbons fastened to backpacks nearly as often.

And now, a large part of our campus community is made up of people who weren’t here to witness the university’s upheaval and the grassroots revolution and selfempowerment that followed.

So why publish this issue?

Because change is still happening. Even if it’s not immediately visible. There are still people fighting every single day to make our university a better place, and just because things have

seemed to slow down doesn’t mean there’s not still work to be done.

Within this issue spanning both print and online, you’ll find stories of activism and advocacy, the changes that came from the turmoil, perspectives on survivorship and more.

For those of you who were not on MSU’s campus last year, or even the year before, I encourage you to use this issue to begin to understand a period of our university’s history we cannot afford to forget.

If you were here, this issue serves as a powerful reminder to look back on what we’ve accomplished as a community.

We believed survivors. We demanded accountability. We stood by each other every single time the university failed to stand by us.

I’ve been hopeful because I know what this community is capable of achieving.

This story is not in the past.

It is our job as a community to continue to fight for change, not just for the sister survivors, but for every single survivor of sexual violence on this campus.

Send us a letter to the editor with your name, email and class year or university affiliation. Letters can be dropped off or mailed to The State News at 435 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823, or submitted online at statenews.com/page/submit-letter

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Following two years of advocacy, these groups are continuing to fight for cultural change

By Karly Graham and Wendy Guzman kgraham@statenews.com wguzman@statenews.com Following the 2018 conviction of Larry Nassar, multiple advocacy groups formed in support of survivors of sexual violence.

Founded in February 2018, Reclaim MSU gained traction in Board of Trustees meetings.

The group is made up of students, staff and faculty and remains an active participant in addressing Michigan State’s culture surrounding sexual violence and survivorship.

Reclaim MSU calls for transparency and openness from the university. It also uses social media to share Board of Trustees activity and information about the Attorney General's investigation into MSU. “I just think it’s important to keep the university accountable, to know what’s happening in the university at every level, that’s really why we show up,” Reclaim MSU member Anna Pegler-Gordon said. “We also obviously want to support survivors because their struggle with the university is ongoing. They are continuing to try to fight for justice from the university and they continue to need the support from allies, so that’s another reason why we show up.”

In July 2018, The Army of Survivors became a national organization in support of survivors who are athletes. Founder and survivor

Grace French created the organization that educates and provides resources for people that have experienced sexual assault.

The organization was formed after multiple sister survivors were approached by people who asked how they could financially and emotionally support survivors of sexual violence.

“It was originally going to be for everyone,” said Louise Harder, strategist and board member for The Army of Survivors. “However, we realized that there were so many other players in the field that are wonderful — we have RAINN as a national organization, and there are a bunch of national organizations as well as local organizations that are doing a fantastic job — and we didn't need to copy the same things that they were doing, and instead we wanted to find a gap.”

Beyond educating students about sexual assault and resources for survivors, friends, allies and mandatory reporters, the organization also aims to provide fiscal assistance to athlete survivors.

“We found that there is no national organization that helps athletes who are survivors of sexual violence, yet we know that there's such a large percentage of athletes who are survivors,” Harder said. “That's how we decided to narrow our focus — it was not so much to exclude people or to narrow it down, but it was more to focus in on where

Amanda Cosman, 14, lights a candle in her own luminary on Oct. 10, 2019 at the East Lansing Public Library. POSSE lit 505 luminaries signifying the known sister survivors, before President Samuel L. Stanley Jr.’s meeting with survivors. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

the gaps in our system were and where we could best meet the needs of any survivors who were falling through the cracks.”

Parents of Sister Survivors Engage, or POSSE, was also created following Nassar’s cases and exists to unite the parents of sister survivors to show how many people have truly been impacted by the abuse.

The organization planned and executed multiple displays using the number 505 — the number of known survivors of the abuse.

For some, the abuse tarnished their Spartan pride.

“My sister had season tickets to the MSU women's basketball games, I would go with her almost every week ... when I could for many, many years, so I was always a State fan,” survivor Danielle Moore said.

Having grown up in the area and having done gymnastics as a child, MSU was always there, Moore said. However, due to the university’s handling of the fallout during and after the Nassar cases, Moore is unable to call herself a Spartan.

“It's really hard for me to be a fan,” Moore said. “And it's nothing at all against any of the athletes playing. But because of how high this scandal went. I couldn't do it. It's hard for me to see posts about MSU, like people going to football games or basketball games.”

Moore said after she gave her victim impact statement the first morning of Nassar’s sentencing hearing and was unprepared for what was to come after.

“The pain is still there,” Moore said. “It's still raw and nothing is going to take that away except, you know, obviously caring for like mental health, right? But all the survivors would gladly as we've not given up the money to not have this happened.

So the money doesn't fix anything. Of course it helps. But it’s not over.”

How Nassar’s cases, MSU’s response made waves in lawmaking

By Wells Foster wfoster@statenews.com The explosion of sexual abuse allegations against former Olympic doctor, Michigan State physician and now-convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar created waves in the lawmaking world.

Since allegations first entered the public sphere in 2016, laws and policies have been implemented on state and federal levels in response to Nassar's abuses.

In 2018, a slew of bills inspired by the Nassar cases were introduced in the Michigan House and Senate that aimed to protect sexual assault victims and punish officials that failed to respond to allegations of sexual assault adequately.

In February 2018, a package of 10 bills were introduced to the Michigan Senate. The bills were a direct response to Nassar’s abuses and were supported by survivors.

The Michigan Senate passed the bills and several of them were signed into law in September of that year, but some are still sitting in committees.

SB 871 and 872 dealt with the statute of limitations. SB 871 eliminated the statute of limitations on second-degree criminal sexual conduct offenses and extended the statute of limitations by 30 years for third-degree criminal sexual conduct offenses, or when the victim turns 48.

SB 872 extended the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits regarding sexual assault cases to 10 years.

HB 5658 allowed judges to 4

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admit evidence of a defendant's prior sexual assault allegations as evidence in an ongoing case.

HB 5660 would increase the sentence for possession of child sexually abusive material to 10 years in prison.

HB 5798 expands who can make a victim impact statement when a defendant is sentenced. Before this bill, only the parents or guardians of a victim who is a minor could give a victim impact statement.

This bill allows statements from a victim’s spouse, children, siblings, grandparents and others.

“Michigan still ranks dead last in providing access to the justice systems for survivors, and we still have the shortest of statute of limitations in the nation,” State Rep. Julie Brixie (D-East Lansing) said. “We can do a lot better.”

More than 30 bills related to Nassar's abuse were introduced to the House that year. Several of the bills were heavily influenced by the inquiry into MSU, as the house committees responsible for these bills requested all documents related to the MSU investigation into complaints against Nassar from 2014-17.

Lawmakers that read the documents released harsh statements aimed at MSU's mishandling of complaints against Nassar.

“After reviewing the evidence, there is absolutely no doubt that Michigan State University failed to adequately protect students and patients on campus,” State Rep. Klint Kesto (R-West Bloomfield) said in an April 2018 press release.

The Lansing Capitol building on Sept. 19, 2019. PHOTO BY CONNOR DESILETS

“That is a failure to every survivor of sexual assault. As the report outlines, we will be actively pursuing a broad range of legislative reforms to protect people across Michigan from sexual assault.”

State Sen. Kim LaSata (R-Bainbridge Township) also commented in the press release, saying, “Our inquiry confirmed this was an institutional failure with multiple lapses in policy, procedure, and culture at Michigan State. ... That must change. We have worked hard to identify a variety of tailored reforms, through policy and our state budget, which will protect our children on campuses across Michigan moving forward.”

Two budget bills introduced

THU R SDAY, JA NUA RY 23, 2020

in 2018 also dealt with the Nassar fallout.

SB 857 would expand funding for campus safety programs and sexual assault prevention programs. It also expanded Title IX requirements for university faculty and staff.

HB 5571 would cut state funding for universities by 10% if the university did not adopt antisexual assault policies, including sexual assault prevention courses for students and requiring Title IX complaints to be received by all governing officials of the university.

Neither bills have been made into laws at this time.

In April 2019, State Rep. Sara Cambensy (D-Alger) introduced HB 4383, a bill that would make

it illegal for an individual with power to prevent someone below them from reporting a Title IX violation. The bill is currently in the Government Operations Committee.

In May 2019, State Rep. Beth Griffin (R-Van Buren County) introduced HB 4376, which would make physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and athletic trainers mandatory Title IX reporters. The bill is currently in the Committee on Government Operations.

On the federal level, in July 2019, two U.S. Senators, Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced the Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019.

The bill, which is in the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, would “provide for congressional oversight of the board of directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and to protect amateur athletes from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and for other purposes.”

The bill is a result of a nonpartisan investigation into Nassar and the lack of transparency from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

State Rep. Julie Brixie (D-East Lansing) said she thinks there’s room for improvement in how the state government responded to the Nassar cases.

“We should be a national leader in (survivor support), and I hope to get some folks together,” Brixie said. “I hope to see us doing some discussions about that. I think we can do a lot better than what we've done.”

S PORTS

MSU rowing reflects on march to Admin Building

By Sean Reider sreider@statenews.com Next Wednesday will mark the twoyear anniversary of the Michigan State women’s rowing team’s march from Jenison Fieldhouse to the Hannah Administration Building and subsequent meeting with the Board of Trustees.

The team was the first student group to speak with the Board of Trustees in the wake of the sentencing of disgraced former MSU doctor Larry Nassar. According to a press release from the team, Nassar was the trainer for the team from 1998 to 2016.

Lindsey Klei, a senior on the rowing team at the time, said she remembers the march as an emotional time for the whole team.

“It was a lot for everyone to process, but we used that as motivation to help in any way we could,” she said via Facebook Messenger. “We knew as student athletes that we could make a difference.”

Prior to the meeting, the team devised a list of five expectations focused on protecting student athletes' rights, implementing a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct and enforcing proper protocol. Klei said she was involved in making this plan.

“My teammates and I all got together and spent time discussing what we needed to address with the board members,” she said. “We had things we thought (we could change) and suggestions on how to change them.

The MSU women’s rowing team lock arms while walking to meet with the Board of Trustees on Jan. 29, 2018 at Hannah Administration Building. The team compiled a list of their expectations in regards to how MSU handles sexual assault to present at the meeting. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

“Our mission was to join together as a united front and do what we could do to make changes around campus. We needed to change policies and hold the university accountable for the future.”

In July 2019, the MSU athletic department

Gymnastics coach on how program has changed since ‘17

By Sara Tidwell stidwell@statenews.com The State News sat down with Michigan State gymnastics coach Mike Rowe to discuss how his program has been affected since the 2016 arrest of disgraced former doctor Larry Nassar.

Rowe was hired in 2017 after former coach Kathie Klages retired while under suspension due to fallout from the investigation into Nassar’s crimes. He previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

knowing if there are maybe more of them involved or any of them involved at that point.

I've always wanted to have my own program and there's just no way you could've predicted it happening like this. Having a program handed over to you in a matter of minutes and then trying to deal with or cope with everything that was going on around you, it was really difficult.

Q: Was there anything before this that prepared you to take this on, or was it just thrown at you?

Q: How difficult was it to take A: No. There was no over this program after it had gone through so much turmoil? preparation whatsoever. It

A: It was difficult because from one day to the next, you didn't really know what the circumstances were.

I basically shut myself off from the news and that kind of stuff because I didn't know facts and everything like that. I became aware of certain facts through people coming to me and me being a mandatory reporter. ... All I knew was what I was hearing.

I'm not an investigative reporter or an investigator or anything like that, so I just complied with everything that was being asked of me.

And, with that being said, looking out for the wellbeing of the team too — not

was just as it came to you.

It was consuming in a way that, you want to be focused and organized in what you're taking into practice and we would have a set course for what was going to be done in that practice. For the most part, that would happen. But occasionally, it was almost like you were waiting for another shoe to drop.

Q: How is the team doing now?

A: They're doing amazing right now. Right from the beginning, the administration has been very supportive for all of the girls here, all of my team and anything we've needed — any

resources they've needed whether it's counseling or anything like that.

I feel like a lot of the rules, policies and procedures have been tweaked to the utmost of where — not that we didn't know what to do before as far as reporting or anything like that, we knew what to do — but they've been fine-tuned and the chain of command has changed ... And it's not just, 'OK, here's the rules and policies, follow these,' but we've attended professional development seminars and updates of institutional equity and it just keeps going. They keep developing further and further and expanding as far as the staff they're using so there's more people out there to help to be resources for the kids. I feel like, if someone came to me to discuss it, or had another problem, or had an issue, I would have more resources than I did previously, even though that plan was in place.

I don't want to say it's behind us, because obviously it's not behind us. Our job as being coaches, and coaching the sport and being focused on our season and our next team that we're competing against, it's much easier because that isn't looming over us like it was for a pretty long time.

fired rowing coach Matt Weise and hired Kim Chavers in his place. Klei said that Weise was supportive of the team’s efforts as they tried to make a difference.

“It was not an easy thing to do, but our coach (Matt Weise) was there to

support us in any way we needed,” she said. “We wanted to show our respect and support for all the victims and make sure this never happens again.”

While unable to comment on procedures prior to the 2018 meeting, supply chain management junior Julia Hojnaski said that new coach Chavers has “positively influenced” the program with a “new agenda.” Chavers was unavailable for comment.

Trustee Dianne Byrum was present at the meeting and said it was a valued first chance for the board to listen to a student group’s suggestions.

“We were very sensitive to their request,” Byrum said. “It was a late afternoon meeting, and I remember it went for a little over an hour. It wasn’t a back-and-forth exchange.

They wanted to express their feelings to the board, and we sat and listened to them.

“It was an emotional experience for everyone. People spoke from their heart. ... It was a solemn exchange and these were difficult conversations to hear.”

Byrum said she believes the expectations of the rowing team have been implemented and that their suggestions assisted change.

“We have restructured the health department,” she said. “We have added a real focus on students, particularly student athletes, health and wellness. ...

It was very respectful. They were very thoughtful, helpful in terms of their comments, and I believe that it was a positive experience for everyone.”

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RELIGIOUS DIRECTORY Stay up to date at: www.statenews.com/religious

All Saints Episcopal Church 800 Abbot Rd. (517) 351-7160 Sun. Worship: 8am, 10am, & 5pm Sunday School: 10am www.allsaints-el.org Ascension Lutheran Church 2780 Haslett Road East Lansing (517) 337-9703 Sunday worship: 10:00am Sunday Bible study: 8:45am Thursday Bible study: 2:00pm www.ascensioneastlansing.org Crossway Multinational Church 4828 Hagadorn Rd. (Across from Fee Hall) (517) 917-0498 Sun: 10:00am crosswaymchurch.org Greater Lansing Church of Christ 310 N. Hagadorn Rd. (Meet @ University Christian Church) (517) 898-3600 Sun: 8:45am Worship, 10am Bible Class Wed: 1pm, Small group bible study www.greaterlansing coc.org Hillel Jewish Student Center 360 Charles St. (517) 332-1916 Shabbat – Services@ 6pm / dinner @ 7, September–April www.msuhillel.org instagram: @msuhillel

The Islamic Society of Greater Lansing 920 S. Harrison Rd. (517) 351-4309 Friday Services: 12:15-12:45pm & 1:45-2:15pm For prayer times visit www.lansingislam.com/ Martin Luther Chapel Lutheran Student Center 444 Abbot Rd. (517) 332-0778 Sun: 10:30am & 7pm Wed: 7pm Mini-bus pick-up on campus (Fall/Spring) www.martinluther chapel.org The People’s Church Multi-denominational 200 W Grand River Ave. (517)332-6074 Sun. Service: 10:30am with free lunch for students following worship ThePeoplesChurch.com Riverview Church- MSU Venue MSU Union Ballroom, 2nd Floor 49 Abbot Rd. (517) 694-3400 Sun. Worship: 11:30am-ish www.rivchurch.com St. Paul Lutheran Church (ELCA) Worship with us on Sundays at 10am 3383 E. Lake Lansing Rd 517-351-8541 www.stpaul-el.org officemanagerstpaul el@gmail.com

St. John Catholic Church and Student Center 327 M.A.C Ave. (517) 337-9778 Sun: 8am, 10am, Noon, 5pm, 7pm M,W: 5:30pm T & Th: 8:45pm F: 12:15pm www.stjohnmsu.org University Christian Church 310 N. Hagadorn Rd (517) 332-5193 Sun. Bible Study: 10am Sun. Worship: 11:15am www.universitychristianwired.com University Lutheran Church (ULC) “We’re open in every way” 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Sun. Worship: 8:30am & 10:45am Fridays@Five: Dinner, discussion & fun 5pm Mon. Bible Study: 6:30pm @Wells Hall Quad www.ulcel.org Facebook: ULC and Campus Ministry University United Methodist Church 1120 S. Harrison Rd (517) 351-7030 Main Service: Sun: 11am in the Sanctuary Additional Services: NEW contemporary service Sundays at 9am with band titled ‘REACH’ TGiT (Thank God its Thursday): Thur: 8pm in the Chapel of Apostles universitychurchhome.org office@eluumc.org WELS Lutheran Campus Ministry 704 Abbot Rd. (517) 580-3744 Sat: 6:30pm msu.edu/~welsluth

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Column: Remember teal

By C.J. Moore cmoore@statenews.com I’ve spent the bulk of my senior year trying to reconcile my relationship with Michigan State University.

I’m searching for the sense of pride you’re supposed to feel when you’re poised to graduate.

And yet, I feel no such thing.

What I do feel is a sort of quiet, blistering anger, directed in part at this university’s administration. That, and a much-needed dose of cynicism.

I recall a day in September 2016 — a few weeks into my first year of studying journalism — when my naive freshman self picked up a copy of the Lansing State Journal.

On the front page was the story of how a Michigan State gymnastics doctor had been fired from the university. There was a photograph of a woman, too, whose name I’d later learn and

revere: Rachael Denhollander.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the story would grow to define the rest of my time here.

In the ensuing years, MSU’s name permeated national headlines. There isn’t enough room in a single opinion column to tell you how each new uncovered truth of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse crisis shatters my respect for my alma mater a little more, so let me write about the definitive moment that I saw MSU reach one of its lowest points.

Months after Nassar’s criminal sentencings, former MSU Interim President John Engler claimed in email correspondence that Denhollander was “stirring up” survivor outrage toward the university. Her goal, Engler claimed? She was speaking out to get illicit “kickback” from her lawyer.

The Chronicle of Higher Education broke that story in June 2018. It showed Engler thought anyone who spoke out against his actions and the university’s response to the crisis — or lack thereof — was an enemy to be disparaged.

He was unapologetic. He, and some of his peers, couldn’t be bothered to show any sort of sorrow or sensitivity for survivors.

Until the Board of Trustees

votes to waive attorney-client privilege and turn over more than 6,000 documents to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, the university is not serious about instituting lasting change, and we won’t have an independent review to see how MSU really handled Nassar.

To young people who want to attend Michigan State: if you come here, look out for your peers. Listen to all survivors, including the ones on your own campus. Believe them.

This is a place where a predator thrived without interference. It’s also a place where people who experience sexual abuse are put through a hellish reporting process. No amount of strong admission rates or Big Ten championship titles will atone for that.

I reconcile my time at Michigan State by knowing I’ll graduate among a scrappy body of students who questioned authority and raised their voices in the hope of bringing about much-needed institutional change.

As a concerned senior, I ask you not to forget the period of history in which this university’s school colors became teal and white instead of green and white.

Read more at statenews.com

Column: Men’s experiences of sexual assault are too often erased

By Alan Hettinger ahettinger@statenews.com Editor’s note: This article contains sensitive subject matter.

When I was 20, I was sexually assaulted. I had just come out as bisexual, and a man I was flirting with at a party asked to split an Uber with me back to my apartment, saying he lived close by. When we got back, he asked to come in to use my bathroom. Inside, he tried to have sex with me. I told him I was too drunk. He kept going.

I told him several more times.

He asked me if I could walk him home, and then tried to have sex with me again at his place. I pushed him away and left.

I got home and sat on my couch, staring at a blank wall until 5 a.m. When I woke up the next morning, I felt sick. I barely left my bed. He messaged me 6

on Instagram, asking if I wanted to come over that night. I don’t think he has ever fully grasped that he violated my consent.

It took me months to mentally apply the term “sexual assault” to what I had experienced. It took me another year to apply the term “sexual assault survivor” to myself out loud. I at first thought “technically” the definition of those terms matched my experiences, but to apply those terms to myself diminished the experiences of survivors who had been through far worse.

I knew, in the abstract, that sexual assault against men was a thing that happens. I had a vague sense, from various educational materials about sexual assault, that something like 1-in-20 men were sexually assaulted at some time in their lives. Nothing, compared to 1-in-4 women. And usually, anything that went into more depth implied that almost all of those men were assaulted as children.

Eight and a half percent of undergraduate men experienced sexual assault since enrolling at Michigan State, according to a report from the Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Workgroup. Just in the 20182019 academic year, 10% of gay undergraduate men expe-

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rienced sexual assault. My experiences were far more common than I had come to believe, yet I hadn’t been equipped to process them — either by the university or by society as a whole.

It is important to understand the root cause. Sexual assault, both on and off college campuses, against people of all genders, is a crisis caused by heteropatriarchy. Society doesn’t teach men to listen to and respect the needs and desires of others. Additionally, centuries of homophobia have created a culture in the gay community of anonymity and secrecy, and not of open communication.

Ultimately, what I needed in that year in which I couldn’t place language to my experiences, were narratives with which I could contextualize them. I needed narratives from people I could identify with, but instead, experiences like mine are erased, glossed over, an afterthought.

Nobody ever needs to publicly talk about their experiences of sexual assault, but if more men talk about our experiences and ally ourselves with our fellow survivors of all genders, we can start to overthrow heteropatriarchy and toxic masculinity and build a better world for all of us.

TH UR S DAY, JAN UARY 23, 2020

OPI N I ON

Firecracker Foundation: The Army of Survivors: ‘We need allies to rise up’ Taking back their power

By Tashmica Torok Founder, Firecracker Foundation Two years ago I stood outside of the downtown Lansing courthouse holding a sign that read, “#MeToo.” My knee caps were frozen because I was wearing a skirt and tights in frigid weather. I had arrived from another meeting without mittens and was descended upon by fellow survivors who tucked my frozen fingertips into someone’s extra gloves. The love was real and tangible. We waited for survivors and their families to leave the courtroom. With tears in our eyes, we handed them medals that said “Hero” on the front and “Celebrating your bravery” on the back. Some were moved and asked if they could hug us. We enthusiastically agreed and gave tight squeezes that we hoped would communicate how much we were in awe of their strength, how much we wished this had never happened, how much we hoped it would never happen again — to anyone.

There is an unspoken thing between survivors. No matter how different our stories are, there is a single thread woven in the tapestry of our collective experiences of sexual trauma.

Silently, we see one another.

We can hold the complexity of the impacts on our bodies, our minds, our spirits, our relationships and other private, secret things we barely speak about.

I am still in the trenches with many of those same survivors, activists and many more I have come to know since then. Sur-

PHOTO COURTESY TASHMICA TOROK

vivors existed before this case and we were there to make sure those impacted by this perpetrator felt like they had a community.

Today, we continue to look for evidence that we have shifted culture, created a safer, more humane world for those who are harmed and prevented harm from happening to others. It is often incredibly difficult to tell.

We still face institutions with powerful decision-makers enabling secrecy, lies and hoarding of critical resources — financial and otherwise — needed for a community of survivors to heal. While the focus of the Spartan community should remain on Michigan State University, I still must acknowledge that we are confronting child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, USA Gymnastics, our own local public schools and many other places that should be safe. Those who cause harm can be and often are teachers, coaches, priests, pastors and mentors, but children are still more at risk to family members and

loved ones than to anyone else in their sphere of influence.

I spend a lot of time with survivors sharing long, visionary conversations about how the world needs to change to prevent more harm, heal what has already happened and support a healthy practice of accountability. The answers are there.

We have started to gather the stones that will get us across the river. We are prepared to throw them down and be on our way. I wish I could say the biggest barrier to ending all sexual violence is the perpetrators who harm us. I wish I could say that we don’t have the answers.

The truth is, it is the bystander, the decision-makers, the institutions holding and inciting disbelief that stand in our way.

Spartans, I encourage you to impose the high standards we have for Michigan State University on all members of the community. Survivors will never be able to end sexual violence on their own. We need you. We need allies to rise up and help break down the barriers so we can pave our way toward a community free of sexual violence.

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Personal

Grace French calls for Interim President Engler’s resignation at the Action Meeting of Board of Trustees at the Hannah Administration Building on June 22, 2018. PHOTO BY ANNIE BARKER

By Grace French Founder, The Army of Survivors It’s only fitting that two years to the day since I publicly shared the story of my abuse by Larry Nassar, I will be in a board meeting helping to run a nonprofit organization created in the aftermath by and for survivors of sexual violence. I began The Army of Survivors for selfish reasons. It felt good to use my voice and reclaim my story. By advocating for change and working to support other survivors, my story was no longer about him but about survivors and the community working together to create something more powerful than he ever was.

This work was healing for me and for many others within our organization and outside of it. I often watch in awe as my sister survivors show me what courage means: lobbying in multiple state legislatures for survivor rights, founding nonprofits, writing books, appearing on national television to raise awareness and continuing to educate others about sexual violence. There is also the quiet, but equally strong, courage

TO ALL CREDITORS:

lence, hosted multiple workshops, presented and talked to more than 3,000 people, worked with more than a dozen partner organizations and created tangible resources for survivors, with more in the works. We have helped to open up the conversation, to create more talk, more action and more education around the issue of sexual violence — and sexual violence in sport — than ever before.

All of this work is worthwhile because we as survivors are taking back our power. We win when the faces of survivors are on the front page instead of the perpetrator. We win when survivors are brought into conversations around structural and institutional change rather than just administrators. We win when national conversation around sexual violence is victim-centered. We win when a survivor successfully works through an anxiety attack on their own because they had access to mental health professionals.

Everyone wins when we talk about this issue and work toward a brighter tomorrow.

Together.

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that I see in my sisters learning to live each day after trauma, working to heal in therapy, learning how to deal with anxiety attacks and nightmares, fighting to gain control of PTSD. We all are fighting to write our own story.

Not every day feels like a step forward in healing for a survivor. The past two years have seen steps forward in healing and steps backward. There are days where I feel more like a victim than a survivor.

On those days, what keeps me moving forward is the idea that if we do not continue to use our voice, sexual violence will continue to victimize and traumatize many more people.

So 2,500 volunteer hours later, we at The Army of Survivors are working to become the premiere national nonprofit advocating for survivors of sexual violence in sport and to bring awareness, accountability, and transparency regarding this horror.

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T H U R S DAY, JA N UA RY 23, 2020

STATEN EWS.CO M

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CAMP U S

Changes to MSU Title IX, an office transformed by scandal “A lot of what’s happening on our campus brought awareness to a lot of people that didn’t really recognize the extent of what was happening on campus. I know a lot of other campuses are really struggling, they are where we were before 2018 … the ability to branch out as broadly and reach so many voices and so many different people ... is impacting the campus in a very positive way.”

By Maddie Monroe mmonroe@statenews.com In a quiet corner of Olds Hall, Robert Kent leads Michigan State’s Office for Civil Rights and Title IX. He sits at his desk rapidly typing up emails, returning phone calls and scheduling meeting after meeting.

“The creation of this office was on the heels of a lot of publicity surrounding (Larry) Nassar,” Kent said. “It was made to show our commitment to making sure that we’re addressing sexual harassment, sexual violence, sexual assault.”

In June 2018, Kent was appointed interim associate vice president for MSU’s civil rights office, He hasn’t had a slow day since.

Not long after the U.S. Department of Education found MSU out of compliance with two federal laws, they opened two more investigations. MSU was notified in September that the Office for Civil Rights had opened an investigation into their non-compliance with Title IX and the Clery Act. One of the new investigations was based on a complaint from alumna Hannah Smith, who claimed a Title IX Investigator failed to prevent her from seeing a professor she accused of sexually harassing her. She also claimed MSU failed to provide a prompt response to her complaint.

Given that the Title IX office has had problems with officers dissuading students against reporting assault, the faculty seek to prioritize student needs.

Kent oversees the Office of Institutional Equity, or OIE, the Prevention, Outreach & Education Department, or POE, and the information MSU provides about supportive resources across campus.

His office aims to educate the MSU community on how to prevent, identify and report discrimination, harassment and gender-based violence.

Two years since Nassar’s sexual assault conviction, the civil rights office has largely expanded its staff, Kent said.

“These aren’t easy issues,” Kent said. “We’re here to fulfill our mission to end harassment and discrimination and hold people accountable for it regardless of who you are.”

He said he views his responsibility as ensuring MSU’s civil rights compliance and cul-

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T HE STAT E N EWS

Kelly Schweda Prevention outreach and education director, SARV Prevention Program A woman wears a teal ribbon during a Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 13, 2019 at the Hannah Administration Building. STATE NEWS FILE PHOTO

Number of discrimination reports by year Reports included discrimination and harrassment based on age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, verteran status, and weight.

1872

2018-19

1644

2017-18

718

2016-17 0

500

tivating a campus community free from discrimination and harassment.

“The university is committed to making our campus the safest, most inclusive campus that it can be,” Kent said. “This commitment isn’t just in rhetoric. The people put their money where their mouth is. The people, the commitment to structure and commitment to the people within this office, is one of the manifestations of that commitment.”

1000

Kent said, while the aim to end harassment and discrimination benefits the university, the office does not seek to protect the university by any means.

“We’ve had plenty of investigations that involve people on campus in administrative capacities and employees and others,” Kent said. “We’ve made findings and people have been held accountable for those things.”

Ex-MSU President Lou Anna

THU R SDAY, JA NUA RY 23, 2020

1500

2000

K. Simon’s trial centers around a 2014 Title IX complaint about Nassar that went unaddressed.

Prosecutors argue she lied to police about her knowledge of the complaint.

Then-Title IX coordinator Paulette Granberry Russell is transitioning to an advisory role for President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. Kent also said the office moves as quickly and as equitably as possible.

“We’ve been working very,

very hard to try to reduce the timelines for our cases and we continue to do so,” he said.

Within the OCR is the Office of Institutional Equity. Their main purpose is to investigate misconduct that breaks Title IX or anti-discrimination policies. Any MSU student, employee or third party who wishes to make a complaint can file a report through OIE and then decide if they would like to involve law enforcement.

Since OIE’s main role is to investigate misconduct, newly named Director Melody Werner made urgency one of her top goals when taking on the role as director of OIE. “I’m trying to convey to everyone within my department the idea of urgency,” Werner said. “Unlike a lot of other offices on campus, we have an urgent issue to respond to ... If someone is reporting to us that they have been sexually assaulted, in my mind that’s urgent.”

In 2018 the average case took 190 days. Now, it takes 118, she said.

Werner joined MSU’s OIE after working at Eastern Michigan University as their Title IX coordinator — her goals include improving the reporting process and increasing awareness and trust of what OIE does.

“If people are discouraging people from reporting, that means something is wrong with what we’re doing,” Werner said. “Rather than go attack the people who are discouraging, I’ve got to start from the inside and say, we need to build trust. We need to have a system that people trust and

that they feel good about.”

The Outreach and Education Department within OCR has also grown in size since Nassar’s conviction.

“So the program that I’ve been doing since 2008, is the SARV program,” Prevention, Outreach and Education Director Kelly Schweda said, referring to the Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Program. “That really is just to get everybody on the same page about what relationship violence and sexual misconduct is, where to go for resources if you know someone that’s been affected, or you’re affected yourself ... then what to do if you actually see something on campus.”

Schweda also talked about the changes she has seen on campus and within her office.

“A lot of what’s happening on our campus brought awareness to a lot of people that didn’t really recognize the extent of what was happening on campus,” Schweda said. “I know a lot of other campuses are really struggling, they are where we were before 2018 … the ability to branch out as broadly and reach so many voices and so many different people ... is impacting the campus in a very positive way.”

Schweda also said she finds support for survivors important in her position.

“I think the most critical thing that people need to remember is that survivors need to be believed and supported on our campus,” Schweda said. “I think sometimes we get caught up in a lot of things and forget that basic piece.”