Former dean who oversaw Nassar guilty of neglect

A former Michigan State University dean who oversaw gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was found guilty of neglect of duty Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

William Strampel, the ex-dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was charged in the Michigan attorney general’s investigation into how the university handled complaints against Nassar, who has pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography.

{mosads}The former dean had also been accused of using his position to sexually proposition and harass female students and failing to enforce restrictions on Nassar following a 2014 complaint.

The jury found Strampel not guilty of felony criminal sexual conduct in the second degree, which could have resulted in 15 years in prison, for grabbing the backside of at least one student, according to the AP.

“Today’s verdict sends a clear message: It’s time to change the culture in our schools and medical communities so that our female students and doctors receive the same treatment and respect as their male counterparts,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wrote in a statement obtained by the AP. “Public officers who brandish their power to demean, insult, objectify and abuse female students will be held accountable.”

John Dakmak, Strampel’s attorney, reportedly said it “speaks volumes” that jurors “saw through a lot of allegations that fell flat.”