“It is time for the Michigan legislators to look at why two of the largest scandals in the history of the country — Larry Nassar and Robert Anderson — happened at Michigan’s two largest universities. Other states have addressed this issue. It is time for Michigan leadership to do the same.”

Today it was announced that the University of Michigan has reached a $490 million settlement with former athletes and other U-M students who sued the school saying they had been sexually assaulted by the late Dr. Robert Anderson, a former football team doctor. https://www.freep.com/story/news/education/2022/01/19/university-michigan-robert-anderson-settlement-sexual-assault/6553333001/ 

I did not even wade into the reader comments to this article, which I’m sure are filled with “these people are just looking for a payday!” This is the only language spoken by institutions and agencies that shut down victims, don’t listen and look the other way. Money. Want to stop predators and the enablers who protect them? Money. More victims, more money. Do the math and decide if the university presidents, board members and highly paid coaching staff are getting this right.

The Michigan legislature should address why these huge scandals happen in Michigan and a good place to start would be with the lack of oversight and accountability by the Oakland County prosecutor’s office who derailed the investigation into the Oakland County child killing cases, 1976-1978. This lack of accountability, oversight and transparency set the stage for decades of predators’ crimes to be swept under the carpet in Oakland County. Michigan’s long history of corruption doesn’t begin with predators Robert Anderson or Larry Nassar. When law enforcement (including prosecutors) ignore these kinds of crimes–or worse, sweep them under the rug, they should have to pay, too.