Nassar survivors, MSU students to host Rally for Resignations Friday

EAST LANSING - Survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse and their families will join students at Michigan State University on Friday to demand members of the Board of Trustees and interim President John Engler step down.

The Rally for Resignations is happening at 5:30 p.m. Friday in front of the MSU Hannah Administration Building. The event is being organized by #MeTooMSU and ReclaimMSU, two groups that emerged amid continued fallout over the Nassar scandal. 

Morgan McCaul, a survivor and vocal critic of MSU's administration and its response to Nassar's abuse, said Friday's Board of Trustees meeting was a turning point.

McCaul said the decision to not allow signs inside the meeting was one of several instances of community members and survivors being restricted.

"Ultimately, we're making the voices of the community heard," McCaul said. "Time and time again in meetings, community voices are being silenced by the board and interim President Engler."

MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant said the decision not to allow signs was made by Engler for safety reasons and so that signs would not block the view of others in the audience.

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MSU's campus has played host to several rallies and protests in recent months in the wake of Nassar's sentencing, the resignation of former president Lou Anna Simon and the appointment of Engler as interim President. 

Proposed changes to the Board of Trustee's bylaws to allow for faculty and student representatives to vote alongside trustees will also be discussed at the rally. The proposals, drafted by ReclaimMSU, were backed by Faculty Senate on Tuesday.

ReclaimMSU also plans to seek a constitutional amendment that would ensure faculty and student participation on the governing boards of MSU, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State, whose trustees are elected in accordance with the state Constitution. 

In a letter to Faculty Liaison Laura McCabe dated April 11, Brian Breslin, chair of the Board of Trustees, wrote that the board remains committed, "to work alongside all members of the university community, including the Faculty Senate, to strengthen our great institution.

He went on. "That includes a renewed commitment to transparency and proactive communication. 

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.