Ex-MSU president Lou Anna Simon due in court on felony charges
CHARLOTTE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Former Michigan State University president Lou Anna Simon is set to be in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
She's accused of lying to police during the criminal investigation into Larry Nassar. The 71-year-old is facing four charges, two of which are felonies. The other two are misdemeanors.
WATCH LIVE: You can watch a livestream of her court hearing on FOX 2 News Now live on our Facebook page here.
According to prosecutors, Simon told police she was not aware of allegations against the disgraced gymnastics doctor. But police claim there is documented proof she knew about his behavior back in 2014.
Simon, a 40-year employee of the university, was president in 2014 when Nassar was suspended amid a school investigation that resulted in no findings. Simon, who attended one of the six days of testimony, said she was lied to and misled like everyone else.
But the Eaton County Prosecutor's office said she knew something earlier than she admitted. According to the Eaton County Prosecutor's office, Simon told investigators she was aware in 2014 that a sports medicine doctor was the subject of a Title IX investigation. Investigators also say she knew it was Nassar of the investigation at the time.
Simon resigned as president at MSU on Jan. 24, 2018 - the same day Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in Ingham County for sexual abuse. Since then, MSU is on its second interim university president.
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Its first choice, former governor John Engler resigned last month following criticism of remarks he made, in which he told The Detroit News that Nassar's victims had been in the "spotlight" and are "still enjoying that moment at times, you know, the awards and recognition."
The school's board of trustees accepted his resignation and then appointed Dr. Satish Udpa as their new leader.
FOX 2 reported on this story from Southfield, Mich.