US Imposes Record $4.5 Million Fine on Michigan State University Over Nassar Scandal

Larry Nassar sits in court listening to statements before being sentenced by Judge Janice Cunningham for three counts of criminal sexual assault in Eaton County Circuit Court in Charlotte, Mich., on Feb. 5, 2018. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Michigan State University (MSU) was fined a record $4.5 million for its systematic failure to protect students in wake of the abuse scandal involving the school’s former sports doctor, Larry Nassar, the U.S. Department of Education announced on Sept. 5.

MSU was ordered by the department to make “major changes” following two separate investigations—one by the office of Federal Student Aid and the other by the Office for Civil Rights—under the direction of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.