Michigan State University Should Move Quickly to Remove John Engler
A recent interview with the interim President of Michigan State University was long on aspersions towards victims of sexual abuse and short on answers and apologies. In light of this interview, we believe that the MSU Board of Trustees should move quickly to find a new interim president.
Interim President John Engler’s interview with The Detroit News was yet another black mark for Michigan State. Rather than apologize vigorously and extensively for the sexual abuse of more than 300 women by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, President Engler instead chose to disparage those victims. By steadfastly refusing to investigate further into the culture that allowed Nassar to prey on so many, and by insulting those victims who have come forward to share their experiences as “enjoying the spotlight,” President Engler shows that he is the wrong person to be in charge at MSU.
The fact is that more investigation is still needed. MSU owes both survivors and the world writ large an explanation for how crimes of this magnitude could take place. University officials should look long and hard into the kind of culture they created which allowed both serial abuse to occur and for allegations of that abuse to be ignored and minimized. Getting to the bottom of this case is exactly what MSU should be doing as they “get back to work.”
We hope they do so without President Engler in charge.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 1 comment