Watch CBS News

Survivors slam MSU for response to complaints about Larry Nassar

USA Gymnastics board members resign
USA Gymnastics board members resign amid abuse scandal 02:50

NEW YORK -- The chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer of USA Gymnastics resigned under pressure from the U.S. Olympic committee on Monday in the latest fallout from the Larry Nassar scandal. Nassar is the former women's team doctor for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University (MSU) who has pleaded guilty to abusing young patients.

More of his victims spoke at his sentencing hearing on Monday.

"I'm possibly the last child you will ever assault," 15-year-old Emma Ann Miller said. Miller, who saw Nassar for monthly appointments for five years, was one of the youngest person to read her statement.

"MSU sports medicine charged me for those appointments. My mom is still getting billed for appointments where I was sexually assaulted," Miller said.

An MSU spokesperson said patients of Nassar will not be billed. MSU has been criticized for their handling of complaints against Nassar.

Four athletes treated at MSU who were among the survivors providing victim statements during Nassar's sentencing hearing told us about their experience.

0122-en-lapook-gymnasticsboard.jpg
CBS News sat down with four athletes treated at MSU, among the survivors providing victim statements during Nassar's sentencing hearing. CBS News

Gymnast Larissa Boyce said she was 16 in 1997 when she complained to MSU coach Kathie Klages that she suspected Nassar was abusing her.

"Kathie came back in the room with just me at this point, and said, 'Well, I can file something but there's going to be very serious consequences for both you and Dr. Nassar,'' she said. "And I said, 'Well, I don't want to get anybody in trouble.' I just felt humiliated. I felt silenced. I felt embarrassed."

Klages was suspended and resigned from MSU last February. Her lawyers declined to respond to CBS News, citing ongoing litigation.

Tiffany Thomas Lopez played softball for MSU. She says she was abused by Nassar from 1999 to 2001 following a back injury, and that she complained to an MSU athletic trainer. "Our stories are so eerily similar, it like, makes my chest hurt," Lopez said.

"And then she says, 'You're going to make a lot of people uncomfortable. You can do this.' You know, she made sure to tell me, like, 'You can do this, you can file a complaint, but this is going to be big news. What's going to happen to him?' That's what it was just all about."

In 2017, MSU police did their own investigation into Nassar. In their report, they say that the MSU trainer "said she has never had an athlete tell her that Nassar made them uncomfortable."

Back in 2014, an MSU investigation into a complaint against Nassar cleared him of sexual harassment, but led to guidelines that included having someone in the room and little to no skin-to-skin contact in sensitive areas.

After then, MSU police said at least 12 assaults by Nassar were reported.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.