Interim president John Engler to step down after repeatedly disrespecting the sexual assault victims and investigation with callous comments.
Whenever I hear a man complain about the “witch hunt” #MeToo Movement, the “nefarious” Gay Agenda or the “persecution” of R. Kelly, I can’t help but judge him by his opinion. It shows a disconnect and deflection from the true issues that women and other minorities deal with on the daily.
Well, back in April, then interim Michigan State University president John Engler thought he was safe in revealing his trash opinion regarding Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse discredited and serial abuser Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, was getting a “kickback” from her lawyer. What type of turd would say such a thing?
Yesterday, Denhollander told the Associated Press that she hopes the firing of Engler signifies the board “is signaling at least the beginning of a true change in direction and tone. And in order to do that, they have to deal with the person they put in place.”
She went on to say how Engler’s attitude toward the investigation, and its victims by proxy, “was no secret in Michigan.”
The former board — five members remain and three are gone — picked Engler “for a reason,” Denhollander said, and it “needs to take responsibility for what they did.”
Her biggest concern with Engler’s tenure has been what he’s “communicated about abuse,” Denhollander said.
“What he has communicated is that survivors who speak up will be attacked and blamed and shamed, that those who push for change are going to be accused of enjoying the spotlight, that they will be lied about.”
Engler, who served as governor of Michigan for 11 years, clear doesn’t get it. On a campus where women and girls were violated, and where the accuser was protected by the university, a man was still so dense as to question the motives of the first victim in an email addressed to another MSU employee.
On Thursday, MSU’s Board of Trustees said that Engler’s resignation was effective immediately. This came a day after Engler said he’s stepping down next week amid the fallout over his typically dull-headed, male-centric and mean spirited above all else.
The university fired Larry Nassar in 2016, two years after he initially became the subject of a sexual assault investigation. He worked with the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team and treated hundreds of women and girls, most of of them gymnasts.
He released a report that said the school fought the release of certain relevant documents and released others that were heavily redacted or irrelevant. It said such actions hampered the investigation.
“Their biggest concern was the reputation of the university,” Forsyth said at the time.
Engler was brought in to try to help the university from recover from the scandal, but ended up increasing the stigma and lengthening the overall healing process by inserting his personal opinion into a situation that was perhaps on the road to resolution prior to him being hired on as interim president.
Initially, Engler resisted calls for his resignation, but instead submitted an 11-page letter on Wednesday to Dianne Byrum, chairwoman of Board of Trustees.
However, in typical fashion, the letter made no mention of the remarks that led to him packing his shit right now.
He even had the audacity to list his “accomplishments” in under a year of service, saying the university was a “dramatically better, stronger institution.”
“It has been an honor to serve my beloved university,” wrote Engler.
He joins a virtual chain gain of former MSU staffers, including his predecessor, who were either fired, forced to resign or faced crimes amid the fallout of Nassar’s long-deserved demise. So, maybe part of the problem is he loved his school a little too much.
He doubled down on that April 2018 statement just last week when he told the Detroit News that Nassar’s victims had enjoyed “spotlight” and are “still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition.”
Nassar is now serving decades-long prison sentences for sexually assaulting patients and possessing child pornography.
Brian Mosallam told the AP on Wednesday that the board had enough votes to force Engler out during the special meeting Thursday at the school in East Lansing.
After Engler was hired, Michigan State agreed to a $500 million settlement with 332 women and girls who said they were sexually assaulted by Nassar. Of that, $75 million will cover future claims.
