William Strampel
William Strampel
William Strampel is the former Dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University (MSU) in Lansing, Michigan. In March 2018, he was criminally charged after sexually harassing or sexually assaulting four female Medical students at MSU. He also allegedly stored naked photos of female students on his work computer. The arrest and charges came after an investigation into the handling of sexually abuse cases at MSU. Strampel was the boss of disgraced former MSU and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who has been convicted of sexually abusing more than 150 victims.
Career
William Strampel was the Dean of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine from 2002 until December 2017, when he stepped down for medical reasons but retained a professorship. In February 2018, he was fired from MSU for failing to enforce special protocols put in place for Larry Nassar following a 2014 sexual assault investigation.
Strampel has been a board member of the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians (MAOFP) since 2009.
On October 13, 2017 William Strampel was inducted into the Gillum Society of Master Fellows during the 2017 American College of Osteopathic Internists (ACOI) Annual Convention and Scientific Sessions in Baltimore, Maryland. Strampel was one of five D.O.s to be named master fellows during an Oct. 13 convocation ceremony. The Gillum Society of Master Fellows honors active ACOI members who have demonstrated major past and present contributions to the college or to osteopathic internal medicine on a local, regional, or national level.
Awards
On October 27, 2016 William Strampel received the Michigan Volunteers of America 2016 Veteran Tribute. The tribute ceremony was held at the MSU Demmer Shooting Sports, Education and Training Center. Sponsors of the event raised more than $130,000 to support homeless individuals, including veterans, across Michigan.
In August 2016, the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians (MAOFP) awarded William Strampel an MAOFP Service Award.
The award was given during the association's 2016 annual summer family medicine update, Aug. 4-6 at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme, Michigan.
Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal
MSU Investigation
In February 2018, interim Michigan State University President John Engler took steps toward firing William Strampel by starting the process to revoke his tenure. Engler said Strampel should fired for for his failure to enforce special protocols put in place for Larry Nassar when he returned to work as a doctor at MSU following a 2014 sexual assault investigation. Another 20 women have said they were molested by Nassar after Strampel allowed him to return to work in 2014.
“William Strampel did not act with the level of professionalism we expect from individuals who hold senior leadership positions, particularly in a position that involves student and patient safety,” Engler said in a statement released by the university.
“Further, allegations have arisen that question whether his personal conduct over a long period of time met MSU’s standards.
We are sending an unmistakable message today that we will remove employees who do not treat students, faculty, staff, or anyone else in our community in an appropriate manner.
“I sincerely hope the courageous survivors of Larry Nassar will see this as an unmistakable indication that things are changing quickly at Michigan State,” Engler said.
“I said last week that their efforts would not be in vain.
This is just the first step in restoring trust in Michigan State.”
Engler also said that MSU will not cover William Strampel’s legal expenses related to the Nassar case.
William Strampel had led the college during a Title IX investigation undertaken by MSU in 2014 after Larry Nassar was accused of sexually assaulting a female patient.
The patient had told police and Title IX officials that Nassar had rubbed her breast and rubbed near her vagina, but she pushed his hands away and ended the appointment.
That incident did not involve penetration, which was cited by many women and girls who spoke at Nassar's sentencing hearings on sexual assault charges held in January and earlier this month.
The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office declined to press charges in the 2014 incident.
While the Title IX review was ongoing, William Strampel regularly checked the status of the investigation, voiced his support for Nassar and told Nassar he could return to clinical work before the investigation concluded, the Lansing State Journal reported after obtaining emails through a public records request.
The Lansing State Journal reported that the criminal investigation into whether Nassar had assaulted the patient continued for 16 months after the Title IX review closed and Nassar was allowed to see patients during that time.
That 2014 Title IX investigation found Nassar had not violated university's relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy. However, an internal copy of the report not provided to the victim, found that Nassar's conduct posed a liability risk and recommended that the medical practice improve protocols.
The internal report said: "We find that whether medically sound or not, the failure to adequately explain procedures such as these invasive, sensitive procedures, is opening the practice up to liability and is exposing patients to unnecessary trauma based on the possibility of perceived inappropriate sexual misconduct."
William Strampel apparently responded to the report by creating protocols for Nassar’s return to seeing patients.
They included a requirement to wear gloves when performing procedures in intimate areas, to have another person present during such treatments and to explain the procedure and obtain consent before treating patients.
When MSU terminated Nassar in September 2016, one of the reasons was his failure to follow those protocols.
William Strampel had told police he told only one other person about the protocols and didn't feel he needed to follow up to ensure Nassar was compliant.
However, the person William Strampel said he had informed Dr. Douglas Dietzel, clinical director of the MSU sports medicine clinic told police that he wasn't aware of the protocols.
That information came from a police report detailing a joint MSU Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into whether anyone handling Nassar allegations had committed crimes. The report was sent to the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. University officials said they expect no criminal charges at the time of William Strampel's firing.
Arrest
On Monday, March 26, 2018, William Strampel was arrested and faces multiple charges.
At least one is a felony and others are misdemeanors sources told The Detroit Free Press.
Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth confirmed that William Strampel is lodged in the jail, but said information on what charges he is being held on will not be released until Strampel is released.
Criminal Charges
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018 William Strampel was arraigned on charges including one count of misconduct of a public official, a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine; one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a high court misdemeanor punishable by two years and/or a $500 fine; and two counts of willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor punishable by one year and/or a $1,000 fine.
He was arraigned via video at 54-B District Court in East Lansing, Michigan, a day after he was arrested and held in the Ingham County Jail.
Strampel's probable cause conference will be held 8:30 a.m. April 27, 2018 and his preliminary examination is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 3, 2018. Strampel was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bond and was ordered not to initiate contact with witnesses, victims, or any current or former MSU medical Student.
According to an affidavit submitted in support of the charges, four women allege Strampel harassed them with actions such as: Requiring a female medical student to turn around in circles so he could observe her body; asking one female student what he had to teach her to be submissive and subordinate to men; and grabbing the buttocks of two female students.
Strampel's work computer contained approximately 50 photos of "bare vaginas," nude women, semi-nude women, sex toys and pornography, in addition to pornographic videos and a video of Nassar performing a "treatment" on a young patient.
He violated MSU's Acceptable Use Policy, the affidavit alleges, and abused the authority of his public office to solicit, receive and possess pornography images of women who appear to be MSU students.
Following the arraignment proceedings, Strampel's attorney, John Dakmak, said his client denies inappropriately touching anyone or offering increased standing at the university in return for sexual favors.
During a press conference held on, Special Assistant Attorney General Bill Forsyth said a "credible tip" led to the seizure of materials related to Strampel, including a calendar, computer, cell phone and documents belonging to the former dean.
Forsyth did not take questions from media members gathered at the press event Tuesday, saying the investigation was ongoing.
Strampel was in charge of the department when a 2014 Title IX complaint and police report was lodged against Nassar by Amanda Thomashow.
He sent an email putting Nassar back to work with a series of conditions, including having another person in the room when he was performing procedures in sensitive areas and using gloves.
According to statements from Nassar's more direct supervisors in a March 2017 police report, Strampel did not make Nassar's colleagues aware of the conditions.
Another 20 women have said they were molested by Nassar after Strampel allowed him to return to work in 2014.
Dakmak said Strampel followed the letter of the law during the Title IX investigation and said it was "actually the responsibility of the Title IX investigator" to ensure Nassar was following the protocol.