Larry Nassar sexually assaulted at least 25 MSU student-athletes, but there were no NCAA violations, the university has told the college athletics governing body.
In January, during Nassar's Ingham County sentencing hearing, the NCAA sent Michigan State University a letter regarding potential rules violations related to Nassar's crimes.
The university responded on March 22 in a letter from attorney Mike Glazier, of the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, to the NCAA's vice president of enforcement. Glazier listed the current ongoing investigations of the university, including those by the Michigan Attorney General's Office, U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education. (Read the letter at the bottom of this story.)
"I trust that you will see that the University is in no way attempting to sidestep the issues facing it, and that if the University had any reason to believe the criminal conduct of Nassar also implicated NCAA rules violations, the University would accept responsibility in that area as well," Glazier wrote in the letter, which MSU released on Wednesday.
"However, after a thorough and analytic examination of NCAA legislation, and an application of the known facts associated with the Nassar matter to NCAA legislation, the University finds no NCAA rules violations."
Glazier said Nassar's criminal conduct was "abhorrent and a violation of every standard of conduct expected of university of employees."
The letter recapped a meeting and phone calls involving MSU and NCAA officials that refined the issues the university needed to address in its response. It also stated that the university is committed to NCAA Bylaw 20.9.1.6, which covers the well-being of student athletes including their health and safety, but notes that bylaw is a guide and not subject to enforcement.
Nevertheless, Glazier wrote, "Regrettably, we have learned that Nassar did not share the university's commitment and violated criminal law."
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At the time the letter was written 267 victims had come forward in lawsuits, Glazier wrote, including 25 who had been MSU student-athletes. He added that six had been abused since 2014, the year MSU conducted a Title IX investigation of Nassar and cleared him of a sexual assault claim.
Glazier concluded the letter by adding "Should any information be uncovered that Nassar or any other University employee engaged in conduct that forms the basis of a violation of NCAA rules, the University will fulfill its obligation of membership ... and report such non-compliance to your office."
Nassar, 54, formerly of Holt, sexually assaulted hundreds of women and girls, many at MSU, over more than 20 years. He served as an MSU sports medicine doctor for nearly 20 years, including time with the university's women's gymnastics team and crew team.
He also worked with USA Gymnastics for nearly two decades as a team doctor for several women's teams, including several that went to the Olympics.
Nassar is serving a 60-year sentence on three federal child pornography charges and was also sentenced to decades in prison on 10 sexual assault charges in state courts.
Nearly 300 people are suing MSU, USA Gymnastics and others related to abuse by Nassar. Many of those lawsuits are currently in a meditation phase, during which a settlement could be reached.
Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press contributed to this report. Contact Matt Mencariniat (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.