Larry Nassar is a former USA Gymnastics national team doctor and Michigan State University physician who sexually abused hundreds of young women and girls over more than two decades, disguising the assaults as medical treatment. He is now serving federal and state prison sentences that will keep him incarcerated for the rest of his life, and the institutions that employed or oversaw him have paid roughly $1 billion to his survivors.
His Career and the Access It Gave Him
Lawrence Gerard Nassar was born on August 16, 1963, in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He started working with the North Farmington High School gymnastics team in 1978, as a teenager, and kept working with gymnasts after graduating high school in 1981. He earned a kinesiology degree from the University of Michigan in 1985 and graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993.1Biography.com. Larry Nassar
By 1986 he had joined the USA Gymnastics national team medical staff as an athletic trainer, and in 1996 he was named the organization’s national medical coordinator, a role he held for nearly two decades. In 1997 he became a team physician and assistant professor at MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he treated student athletes and outside patients for close to twenty years.2USA Today. Larry Nassar Timeline Those two positions, at the top of American gymnastics and inside a major university medical practice, placed him alongside the country’s most elite young gymnasts and a steady stream of local patients.
What He Did
Nassar used his status as a doctor to sexually assault patients during what he described as medical treatment, often with parents in the room. The abuse stretched across his entire career and touched virtually every institution he was associated with. Concerns surfaced as early as 1997, when a parent reported her worries to gymnastics coach John Geddert, who did not notify police. In 1998 and 2000, MSU student athletes raised concerns with trainers and coaches; lawsuits later alleged the university failed to act.2USA Today. Larry Nassar Timeline
In 2014 a recent MSU graduate filed a formal complaint alleging Nassar had sexually assaulted her during a medical exam. The university opened a Title IX investigation and cleared him within three months. Internal records later showed MSU maintained a version of that report with stronger language identifying significant problems with his conduct.3PBS NewsHour. What Did Michigan State Know About Larry Nassars Abuse
In July 2015, USA Gymnastics President Stephen D. Penny Jr. reported abuse allegations to the FBI’s Indianapolis field office, handing over graphic information from three minor gymnasts and a thumb drive containing slides and video of Nassar performing his purported medical techniques. USA Gymnastics told Nassar he could no longer attend its events, and he retired from the organization in September 2015.4Department of Justice OIG. Investigation and Review of the FBIs Handling of Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Former USA Gymnastics Physician Lawrence Gerard Nassar The FBI did almost nothing with the information, and he continued treating patients at MSU for another year.
How He Was Finally Stopped
The case broke open through investigative reporting. In March 2016, Indianapolis Star reporters Tim Evans, Marisa Kwiatkowski, and Mark Alesia began examining how USA Gymnastics handled sexual abuse complaints. Their August 2016 story, “Out of Balance,” detailed the organization’s failure to report abuse allegations against coaches.5CNN. How the Indianapolis Star Exposed Larry Nassar
After reading that article, Rachael Denhollander, a former gymnast and attorney, emailed the newspaper: “I was not molested by my coach, but I was molested by Dr. Larry Nassar, the team doctor for USAG. I was fifteen years old, and it was under the guise of medical treatment for my back.” She agreed to be identified publicly and became the first person to accuse Nassar by name. The Star published its exposé on him in September 2016.5CNN. How the Indianapolis Star Exposed Larry Nassar
MSU fired Nassar days later. He was arrested and charged in November 2016. Michigan Assistant Attorney General Angela Povilaitis later said that without the reporting, Nassar “would still be practicing medicine, treating athletes and abusing kids.”5CNN. How the Indianapolis Star Exposed Larry Nassar
His Criminal Sentences
Three separate criminal cases produced three sentences that run on top of one another.
Federal Child Pornography Case
On July 11, 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving child pornography in 2004, possessing child pornography from 2003 to 2016, and destroying and concealing evidence in 2016 while under investigation. Investigators had found thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his hard drives, including images of children under twelve. He had paid $49 to have his laptop wiped and discarded hard drives containing evidence.6Department of Justice. Former USA Gymnastics Doctor Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges On December 7, 2017, U.S. District Judge Janet Neff sentenced him to 60 years in federal prison, 20 years on each count, running consecutively.7CNN. Larry Nassar Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison
Ingham County: 40 to 175 Years
In November 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty in Ingham County Circuit Court to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The sentencing hearing before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina ran seven days in January 2018 and became a national reckoning in its own right: Aquilina allowed 156 survivors to deliver impact statements, among them Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman.8CNN. Judge Aquilina and the Nassar Sentencing9ABC News. Victim Impact Statements Resonate in Court On January 24, 2018, Aquilina sentenced Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison, telling him, “I just signed your death warrant.”10PBS NewsHour. Judge Sentences Larry Nassar to 40 to 175 Years in Prison The Michigan Court of Appeals later affirmed the sentence, calling some of the judge’s remarks “wholly inappropriate” but finding they did not demonstrate actual prejudice.11Michigan Court of Appeals. People v. Nassar, No. 345699
Eaton County: 40 to 125 Years
Nassar also pleaded guilty in Eaton County Circuit Court to three counts of criminal sexual conduct for assaults at the Twistars gymnastics club in Dimondale, Michigan. On February 5, 2018, after hearing from more than 60 survivors, Judge Janice Cunningham sentenced him to 40 to 125 years, telling him, “You are a doctor, you took an oath to do no harm and you have harmed over 256 women and that is beyond comprehension.”12New York Times. Larry Nassar Sentencing Hearing13CNN. Nassar Eaton County Sentencing The Ingham and Eaton County sentences run concurrently with each other but consecutive to the 60-year federal term.8CNN. Judge Aquilina and the Nassar Sentencing In June 2023, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected his final appeal of his state convictions.14People. Larry Nassar Inside Life in Prison After Stabbing Attack
The FBI’s Failures
A July 2021 report by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found that the FBI’s Indianapolis field office failed to document the July 2015 meeting with USA Gymnastics, failed to properly handle the evidence, and took no meaningful investigative action for eight months. A victim interviewed in September 2015 did not have a formal report of that interview written until February 2017. The case was eventually passed to the Los Angeles field office, which also failed to notify the FBI’s Lansing office or local Michigan authorities. Lansing only learned of the case in September 2016, after MSU police executed a search warrant and found child pornography on Nassar’s devices. During roughly 14 months of FBI inaction, Nassar continued treating patients at MSU, a high school, and a gymnastics club.15Department of Justice OIG. DOJ OIG Releases Report on FBIs Handling of Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Former USA Gymnastics Physician16CBS News. Larry Nassar FBI Justice Department No Charges17NBC News. FBI Fires Agent Accused of Failing to Investigate Nassar
On September 15, 2021, gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Maggie Nichols testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biles said the FBI “turned a blind eye” to their reports. Raisman said the delays amounted to “serving innocent children up to a pedophile on a silver platter.” FBI Director Christopher Wray apologized to the survivors and committed to the OIG’s recommendations.18NBC News. Simone Biles Breaks Down in Tears Recounting Abuse Before Senate
Officials Who Faced Charges
Several Michigan State officials were criminally charged for their roles in failing to act on complaints or in later obstructing investigators. The outcomes were mixed.
- Lou Anna Simon, the former MSU president, resigned in January 2018 and was later charged with lying to police about what she knew of the 2014 Title IX investigation. A circuit court judge dismissed the charges in May 2020, and the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed, finding no evidence her statements were false or material.19PBS NewsHour. Nassar-Related Case Dismissed Against Ex-University Chief
- William Strampel, Nassar’s direct supervisor and former dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was convicted in June 2019 of felony misconduct in office and two counts of willful neglect of duty for failing to enforce exam-room restrictions imposed on Nassar after the 2014 investigation. He was acquitted of a sexual conduct charge, sentenced to concurrent jail terms of up to one year, and permanently surrendered his medical license.20ABC News. Michigan State Dean Sentenced for Neglect of Duty21Michigan Attorney General. Strampel Permanently Surrenders License to Practice Medicine
- Kathie Klages, the former MSU gymnastics head coach, was convicted in February 2020 of lying to police about whether two teenagers told her about Nassar’s abuse in 1997 and sentenced to 90 days in jail. The Michigan Court of Appeals overturned her conviction in December 2021 and ordered the charges dismissed.22Michigan Public Radio. Appeals Court Overturns Kathie Klages Conviction
The $1 Billion in Civil Settlements
Michigan State University agreed in May 2018 to a $500 million settlement: $425 million for 332 claimants who had already filed lawsuits, and $75 million placed in a trust fund for future claimants.23Michigan State University. Larry Nassar Survivors and Michigan State University Settlement MSU was also fined $4.6 million by the U.S. Department of Education under the Clery Act and Title IX and agreed to counseling, tuition reimbursement, and procedural reforms.24PBS NewsHour. Michigan State University Fined in Nassar Case
USA Gymnastics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 5, 2018. A federal bankruptcy court confirmed a $380 million settlement with more than 500 survivors on December 13, 2021, with over 90 percent voting in favor. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee contributed $34 million of its own funds plus $73 million from insurance, with additional contributions from other insurers.25PBS NewsHour. USA Gymnastics USOPC Reach Settlement With Victims USA Gymnastics also agreed to seat at least one abuse survivor on its board, its Safe Sport Committee, and its Athlete Health and Wellness Council.26The Guardian. USA Gymnastics USOPC Larry Nassar Lawsuit Settlement
On April 23, 2024, the Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement resolving 139 claims against the federal government over the FBI’s handling of the investigation. The claimants included Biles, Maroney, and Raisman. Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer acknowledged that “the FBI failed to conduct an adequate investigation of Nassar’s conduct.” The settlement brought total civil payouts in the Nassar case to roughly $1 billion.27New York Times. DOJ Larry Nassar FBI Settlement28NBC News. Larry Nassars Victims Reach Settlement Over Botched FBI Probe
Where He Is Now
Nassar has been held at the United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida, since August 2018. On July 9, 2023, he was stabbed multiple times by another inmate inside his cell, sustaining wounds to his neck, chest, and back and suffering a collapsed lung. He survived and was reported in stable condition. It was the second time he had been assaulted in federal custody, following a 2018 attack at a prison in Tucson, Arizona.29NPR. Larry Nassar Stabbed in Florida Prison30NY1/AP. Larry Nassar Was Stabbed in Prison Cell Attack Not Seen by Surveillance Cameras His combined federal and state sentences will keep him in prison for the rest of his life.