MSU alum Magic Johnson calls for accountability at the school following Nassar sex scandal fallout
Former Michigan State Spartan and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson used his platform Monday to call for the firing of anyone on campus who knew about Larry Nassar’s sexual harassment or other forms of sexual assault but did not take action. In a series of tweets, Johnson stated he and his wife Cookie stand with and support survivors.
If anyone was aware of the sexual assault happening to women on the MSU campus from the office of the President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty & campus police, and didn’t say or do anything about it, they should be fired.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 29, 2018
However, it seems Magic Johnson’s desire for accountability stops at Tom Izzo, the head basketball coach at Michigan State, whom Johnson has supported steadfastly. Johnson even stated that he would like to work with the embattled basketball coach, which suggests that he may believe that Tom Izzo is just an innocent bystander. But just as former Michigan State counselor Lauren Allswede says of Michigan State football coach, Mark Dantonio, Tom Izzo needs to be held accountable for what happened under his watch, and the part that his program played in keeping sexual assault allegations and investigations from becoming public.
In response to Dantonio’s comments regarding the reports about his program covering up sexual assault by his football players, Allswede released an email in which she questioned the sincerity of Dantonio’s statement and his commitment to a Michigan State where the word of survivors is taken seriously:
“How can Dantonio say that he cares about survivors and then in the next breath say every report made [Friday] is false? Everyone at MSU — Dantonio, Izzo included but not just them — needs to accept individual responsibility. Not just acknowledge a social problem or rape culture but reflect more personally on their role in the culture. How do they help prevent rape or support survivors? How do they enable rapists or harm survivors?” it reads.
The Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is opening up a full investigation of the Michigan State University athletic programs, stating that “it is abundantly clear that a full and complete investigation of what happened at Michigan State from the president’s office down is required. No individual and no department at Michigan State University is off-limits… This investigation is priority one.”