ELPD named in federal lawsuit Student alleges he was mistreated by officers in 2010 statenews.com | 3/10/14 | @thesnews Michigan State University’s independent voice
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Editorial: University needs to be more transparent about federal investigation
Hockey holds own against U-M Senior forward Lee Reimer Danyelle Morrow/ The State News
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The Spartans stand and watch their seniors get honored after the game against Iowa on March 6 at Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes 86-76, but lost to Ohio State in a close match on Sunday.
probe into MSU’s sexual assault response linked to 2010 incident By Katie Abdilla kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
Julia Nagy/ The State News
Highs and lows
Exciting win against Iowa fades into disappointment as Spartans fall short against Ohio State By Zach Smith zsmith@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
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OLUMBUS, Ohio — Although the Spartans dominated Iowa 86-76 in Keith Appling and Adreian Payne’s last game in East Lansing Thursday night, they couldn’t spoil the
Buckeyes’s senior day in Columbus. MSU fell to the BuckMSU 67 eyes 69-67. OSU 69 Thursday night ’s affair showed flashes of the team most thought they would see all season, with solid performances from Appling and contributions across the board. There have been questions as to offcourt distractions for the Spartans, including the potential implications of a federal investigation at the university most likely involving two unnamed basketball
players.
Reporter Matt Sheehan shares his take on a frustrating season, pg. 6 Although Thursday’s game was a celebration of seniors, the younger players managed to step up and make solid plays that night.
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Sophomore guard Denzel Valentine, sophomore guard Gary Harris and junior guard Travis Trice each scored more than 10 points to topple Iowa. Sunday’s game was a different story. On the court itself, sophomore Gary Harris couldn’t hit a buzzer beater with a second left to send the OSU game into overtime. “We did a very poor job, and that falls on me,” head coach Tom Izzo said. “We See B-BALL on page 2 u
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Decision forthcoming in same-sex marriage trial immediate decision in the case, citing “triable issues of fact” that must be debated. THE STATE NEWS A s a result, the trial DETROIT — The trial chal- hinged almost solely on teslenging Michigan’s ban on timony from scholars who same-sex marriage conclud- studied whether children ed Friday in Detroit, and a raised in same-sex housewritten judgement is expect- holds fare as well as children raised by heterosexued sometime next week. For April DeBoer and Jayne al couples. Assistant state attorney Rowse, the Hazel Park parents of three who brought the suit, Kristin Heyse said the plaintiffs “attempted to make their desire is simple. this case about something “ E v e r y on e r e c o git ’s not,” and that nizes t hat marFriedman should riage means rule based upon family, and “the social that’s what Children’s well science and we want,” data.” DeBoer being in same-sex The said after majority of the trial. households made research Howon the topever, up most of the ic has found t he a rg utestimony that there is ments about no d i f fe re nce whether bet ween house they should be holds, and the plainafforded the opportiffs used experts to reintunity are anything but. For the plaintiffs, it’s an force what attorney Kenissue of equality. They said neth Mogill called “a strong the ban violates the U.S. Con- consensus” amongst social stitution’s provision for equal scientists. The plaintiffs also had protection and due process under the law. It’s an argu- experts testify that marment echoed in courtrooms riage is an evolving instithroughout the U.S., and one tution and public opinion that’s rendered state bans on on same-sex relations is same-sex marriage unconsti- changing. State attorneys produced tutional in states such as Vira series of experts who ginia and Utah. But unlike other states, the argued that either there challenge in Michigan went to is no valid consensus on trial. In October, Judge Ber- the issue or that children nard Friedman denied requests from both sides to make an See TRIAL on page 2 u By Simon Schuster
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Julia Nagy/The State News
Brandon Childers tucks MSU graduate and his fiancé Stacy Blakeslee’s hair behind her ear March 5 at Spectrum Rehab and Nursing Center in Grand Rapids. Childers spends most days with Blakeslee in the hospital. He said he can tell she’s more calm when he’s around.
Stacy Blakeslee begins road to recovery with therapy sessions By Casey Holland cholland@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn
MSU alumna Stacy Blakeslee starts every day with a morning stroll — being pushed in a wheelchair through the halls of Spectrum Health System. This is the beginning of the day’s therapy sessions. Five days a week, Stacy undergoes two half-hour sessions of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. These sessions include various stretches to help loosen
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her muscles and small speech commands to make her mouth strong enough to eventually eat and talk.
Blakeslee currently is undergoing therapy sessions after being diagnosed with a severe staph infection in 2013 “It seems like a lot — we wish it was a lot more but know some day it will be (more),” said Stacy’s sister Kelly Blakeslee.
In December 2013, the 22-year-old was diagnosed with a severe staph infection that spread throughout her body, leaving aneurysms on her brain. The bursting of one of the aneurysms on Christmas Eve led to a stroke and sent Stacy into a semiresponsive state. She spent almost two months lying in bed in the University of Michigan Health System hospiSee BLAKESLEE on page 2 u
The federal investigation into MSU’s handling of sexual assault cases could be directly linked to an alleged assault involving two basketball players that occurred in August of 2010 in Wonders Hall. University spokesman Jason Cody told The State News that a Title IX complaint regarding an alleged assault in Wonders Hall in August 2010 resulted in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights into how the university responds to sexual assault reports. Cody said the complaint was filed some time after MSU police concluded their investigation of the 2010 incident. The nature of the complaint matches the description of an incident that allegedly involved two basketball players. University officials did not confirm whether this is the particular incident in question. At the time of the incident, Ingham Count y Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III did not move forward with charges against the players. He previously said statements from both sides did not align and, after review from several other prosecutors, determined no crime was committed. T he players in question were never named in previous reports. “MSU police, as they do with all cases, investigated thoroughly and as a result moved forward to the prosecutor with criminal proceedings,” Cody told The State News. According to the initial police report, the two suspects allegedly cornered the victim in a dorm room, making her feel as though she could not escape. The two then turned off the lights and allegedly took turns sexually assaulting her. The victim initially told police that the two held her arms down and pinned her to the ground. When she managed to free one of her arms, she said she struck one of the suspects across the face. She told police he continued to assault her, saying, “Don’t. Just relax.” The report states one of the suspects told police he knew the victim was reluctant and stopped what he was doing. One of the suspects reportedly apologized to the victim because “it seemed she felt they ‘disrespected’ her.” Both suspects told police they apologized to the victim before they left the room. Fol l o w i n g t h e a l l e g e d assault, MSU police responded by searching the room where the victim told police the assault took place. In the report of the search, the detective noted that one of the suspects was “smirking” when the search warrant was read to him. According to a previous State News report, the number of reported on-campus sexual assaults has spiked since 2010. The number of reported incidents increased between 2011 and 2012 from 15 to 20 total, a university report indicated. Last month, Office of Civil Rights officials hosted forums on MSU’s campus to give students the opportunity to speak freely about on-campus sexual assault. Representatives met with several student groups, including male and female athletes, fraternities and sororities and members of MSU’s Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention program.