Scott Olson/Getty Images(MASON, Mich.) — William Strampel, the former dean of Michigan State University’s osteopathic medical school and boss of Larry Nassar while he was a trainer there, was arrested Monday night.
Strampel, 70, is being held at Ingham County Jail in Mason, Michigan, and is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
No charges have been filed yet.
“I will confirm he is in the Ingham County jail,” Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wrigglesworth said in a statement. “He has yet to be arraigned and we do not give out charge information prior to release.”
Strampel would be the first person charged in connection with the Nassar scandal outside of the trainer himself.
John C. Manly, attorney for Nassar’s victims, released a statement following Stampel’s arrest saying he was “encouraged” by the news.
“Our clients are encouraged by the Attorney General’s action,” Manly said. “It demonstrates that he is serious about investigating the systemic misconduct at MSU that led to the largest child sex abuse scandal in history and holding the responsible parties accountable.”
Results of a joint investigation by Michigan State University police and the FBI were released in December, which showed Strampel told police he didn’t “see the need to follow-up to ensure” Nassar was following new guidelines they had discussed when Nassar returned to work following a 2014 accusation of sexual assault.
The report showed Strampel emailed Nassar on July 2014 to say he was “happy to have you back in full practice.”
Nassar was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of girls who he cared for as a trainer with Michigan State and USA Gymnastics. Nassar pleaded guilty in three separate cases — one tied to child pornography and two others in connection to the assaults — and will serve what is essentially a life sentence. The most prominent of those cases featured a sentencing hearing in January in which dozens of women alleged misconduct by Nassar in two weeks of testimony.
Among the women who have accused Nassar of sexual assault are Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas.
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