EAST LANSING (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan State University Board of Trustees announced after a 4-hour closed meeting on Friday that they were sticking by embattled President Lou Anna Simon, saying she is still the best person for the job.
Trustee Mitch Lyon issued a statement to the Detroit Free Press, Saturday saying he is breaking ranks with the rest of the MSU Board and is now calling for University President Lou Anna Simon to resign.
The public outrage has grown as the victims of former Gymastics Team doctor Larry Nassar have revealed in court what he actually did to the young girls and how they alleged they were treated by MSU staff and U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team officials after they complained.
Lyons says he is convinced that the University community will not begin the healing process until Simon is gone. He says he came to that conclusion after listening to the victim impact statements given in Ingham County Court this week by the young athletes that Nassar assaulted.
Lyons told the Free Press he does support their request for an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s office, but says he made it clear during their closed meeting that he felt Simon would not “survive the public outcry” that has already begun.
The embattled Simon has been criticized for allegedly acting too slowly to fire the disgraced Larry Nassar, an allegation she denies.
Lyons says he believes Simon is telling the truth and agrees she has done a good job as President, but says the loss of public confidence is irreparable.
Lyons also told the newspaper that he has no plans to run for reelection for another term on the MSU Board this year. This comes after Lyons was araigned on January 12 on a misdemeanor assault and battery charge in Jackson County stemming from a late December incident; he has a January 29th preliminary hearing scheduled. Lyons, a one-time Spartan football star who was elected to the board in 2010, is the co-founder of Lyons Kitzrow Wealth Management in Grand Rapids and sponsors a weekly hourly segment on “The Huge Show” heard weekdays on WHTC in Holland and WQLR in Kalamazoo; that segment has not aired since Lyons’ arrest.
Board Chair Brian Breslin has since issued a statement saying the rest of the board still does support Simon, adding that they share the outrage of the survivors over the egregious crimes of Larry Nassar and look forward to a prompt and thorough investigation by the Attorney General.
-Gary Stevens of WHTC-AM/FM contributed to this report.
