Larissa Boyce addresses Michigan State University failings on Larry Nassar following his federal sentencing on child pornography charges Thursday, Dec. 7. Justin A. Hinkley/Lansing State Journal
Long before Dr. Larry Nassar pleaded guilty last month to sexually assaulting young gymnasts at Michigan State University over a 20-year period, the university's president and board of trustees began girding for an avalanche of civil litigation that is just starting to play out.
MSU's apprehension is understandable. Penn State University paid more than $100 million to settle 33 lawsuits filed by plaintiffs who accused the university of failing to protect them from assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky; at last count, more than four times that number have sued MSU for complaints arising from Nassar's serial abuse.