LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released the following statement after Ingham County Circuit Court sentenced Kathie Klages Tuesday for lying to authorities investigating the sexual assaults committed by Larry Nassar on the campus of Michigan State University (MSU).
Klages was found guilty in February by a jury decision in Judge Joyce Draganchuk’s courtroom on two counts of lying to a peace officer – a felony and a high court misdemeanor.
She was sentenced to 18 months probation, with the first 90 days to be served in the Ingham County Jail and to be placed on tether for 90 days following that.
“The evidence clearly points to the fact that Ms. Klages was aware – for decades – of Larry Nassar’s actions. She did nothing to protect the young women who were counting on her to stand up for them. Ms. Klages chose to remain silent at a time when doing the right thing should’ve motivated her to do the very opposite and speak up on behalf of the victims,” Nessel said. “Her inaction empowered Larry Nassar to continue committing his heinous crimes, and for her dishonesty, Ms. Klages will be forever tied to the trail of victims Nassar left behind.”
Klages’ conviction established that Michigan State University was aware of Nassar’s sexual assaults in 1997, and that no action was taken to halt his criminal conduct and protect the young women he later victimized until 2016.
Since the investigation began in 2016, hundreds of young women have come forward to report they were victims of Nassar, who was previously an osteopathic sports physician at MSU, Twistar and USA Gymnastics.
Nassar pleaded guilty to seven felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County on Nov. 22, 2017, and to three felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County on Nov. 29, 2017.
He was sentenced in Ingham County to 40-175 years in prison on Jan. 24, 2018, and in Eaton County on Feb. 5, 2018 to 40-125 years in prison.
