Former Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon will no longer be associated with the school after announcing retirement from her tenured faculty position.
According to the university statement, Simon will receive a total gross amount of $2.45 million as a part of the retirement contract and other benefits, similar to other retiring university executive managers. She will retire effectively on August 31.
Last year, Simon tendered her resignation over Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse scandal that rattled the nation. Nassar was sentenced to 40-175 years in prison over three child pornography and 10 sexual assault charges.
Later, she was charged with two misdemeanor and two felony counts of lying to police over the way the school handled the complaint against the disgraced physician.
She is accused of concealing the information regarding the investigation launched against Nassar in 2014. She had told the police that she didn’t know that the physician under investigation was Nassar.
“Michigan State is on the precipice of a new chapter under the leadership of President Stanley. I appreciate the efforts of the university to facilitate my transition to the emeritus status that corresponds to this new chapter. I will continue my scholarly pursuits and community engagement, particularly in Traverse City in retirement,” Simon said.
Nassar sexual abuse had dented the university image across the nation leading to fall in new applications by 3.6 percent in 2017 and by 8.3 percent in 2018. Before 2017, the university had seen a steady increase in new enrollments over a period of seven years.
In May, the university named biomedical researcher Samuel L. Stanley Jr. as its new president, who is currently working on reviewing various university policy and improving the enrollment numbers.
Michigan State Launches New Investigation into Handling of Nassar Abuse