Nassar's ex-boss, former MSU dean William Strampel gets 1 year in prison

William Strampel, 71, was sentenced on three counts, 11 months for one count and one year for the other two counts. The sentences will run concurrently.

The former dean who had oversight of now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar at Michigan State University was sentenced Wednesday to one year in prison.

William Strampel, 71, was sentenced nearly two months after the College of Osteopathic Medicine's ex-dean was convicted of neglect of duty and misconduct in office. He was acquitted of the more serious criminal sexual conduct charge.

He faced up to five years in prison on the felony misconduct conviction, which stems from a charge he used his public office to sexually harass students. He also was convicted of willfully neglecting to monitor Nassar.

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Strampel was the first person charged after Michigan's attorney general launched an investigation in 2017 into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who pleaded guilty to molesting patients and possessing child pornography. Ex-university President Lou Anna Simon and former women's gymnastics coach Kathie Klages face charges of lying to an investigator.

Prosecutors alleged that Strampel willfully neglected a duty to enforce the limits put on Nassar in 2014 after a patient accused the doctor of sexual contact -- such as not treating patients near any sensitive areas on the body without a chaperone present. The defense said Strampel was among many officials who had a role, and said it is not a crime to use "locker room talk" no matter how offensive it may be.

During his trial, which began May 30, multiple former medical students testified about sexual comments he made during one-on-one meetings. They accused him of staring at their breasts. Women who worked as model patients during exams also testified about unprofessional and sexual comments.

"What you did was not just inappropriate, it was not just locker room talk or unfiltered frankness or toughness. It can't even be characterized as sexual harassment," said Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Joyce Draganchuk during Wednesday's sentencing. "You were not convicted of sexual harassment, and that needs to be heard loud and clear. You were convicted for using your position as the dean of the college of medicine to proposition, manipulate and, in my view, oppress women."

Nassar was fired in 2016 after another victim went public and brought Title IX and police complaints. He was sentenced to effectively spend the rest of his life in prison in 2018 after hundreds of women and girls gave powerful statements against him in two courtrooms.

His defense also said the school's investigation cleared Nassar, and there is no evidence that Strampel purposely ignored any duty related to Nassar. He said many other people and entities at Michigan State also had a role - including the Office of Institutional Equity, the general counsel's office, the provost's office, the Health Team, the radiology chairman and people who ran sports medicine.

Nassar was fired in 2016 after another victim went public and brought Title IX and police complaints. He was sentenced to effectively spend the rest of his life in prison in 2018 after hundreds of women and girls gave powerful statements against him in two courtrooms.

Nassar also worked at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.

Attorney General Dana Nessel released the following statement on the sentencing:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.