GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Lt. Gov Brian Calley, a Michigan State University graduate, says those who are unhappy former Michigan Gov. John Engler remains as the interim MSU President "shouldn't just give up on change."
His comments come after MSU's Board of Trustees voted 6-2 on Friday, June 22 not to fire Engler for cause.
This new chapter in the MSU saga started after internal e-mails showed that Engler thought Larry Nassar sexual abuse victims were being manipulated by trial lawyers just for money, and the first victim to step forward Rachael Denhollander was "likely to get a kickback" from her attorney.
Lt. Gov. Calley says the push for change shouldn't be ending. It should be beginning.
"We shouldn't just give up," Calley said. "Last Friday's meeting was just last Friday's meeting. There will be another one next month. We shouldn't just give up on change."
Engler issued an apology on Thursday, a day before the university's trustees met.
"My private comments from April coming out last week impaired that healing and it reopened old wounds as many survivors felt compelled to come to the defense of the first woman who spoke out," Engler wrote. "My regrettable private email harmed the healing process and, for that, I am also very sorry."
But other victims of Nassar says it's just not enough. Survivor Sterling Riethman told 13 ON YOUR SIDE she believes Engler's apology was too late and not authentic.
"It was done because he had to do it to keep his position," Riethman said. "Michigan State has shown us that they're not really willing to work with us as survivors."
Engler told said in an interview on Friday that, despite the pressure, he intends to stick around until a permanent replacement is found.
"I am here until we get a new president and I've got a lot of work to do," Engler said. "The board has given me a lot of responsibility and nobody's going to resign. And nobody should resign either."
Calley, a Republican, is running to be the next Michigan Governor. All the candidates on the Democratic side, Gretchen Whitmer, Shri Thanedar and Abdul El-Sayed, said Engler should resign. Calley tweeted out his condemnation of Engler's comments:
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