In our urgency, given the filing of a federal lawsuit against MSU late Monday, to assure the campus community that MSU employees are acting lawfully and following reporting protocols, following appropriate treatment protocols, and are not discouraging reporting, we regret that we provided an unnecessary amount of detail to convey that point, which has been perceived by some as violating privacy expectations. The staff in the MSU Counseling Center and the Sexual Assault Program are highly professional and work hard every day to provide their clients with outstanding care and support. While we remain firm in our position that appropriate protocols for treatment and reporting were followed, there is always room to improve client experiences and treatment protocols. We also want the campus community to know that we take these allegations very seriously and are working towards improvements.
Sexual violence in all forms is abhorrent and inconsistent with our institutional values. MSU is committed to responding to all reported incidents and continuing to examine underlying climate issues to promote a culture of safety and respect at MSU.
-John Engler, MSU Interim President
