Sports News | Ex-gymnastics Coach Faces Sentencing in Nassar-related Case
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. A former Michigan State University head gymnastics coach faced a sentencing hearing Tuesday for lying to police during an investigation into ex-Olympic and university doctor Larry Nassar.
Lansing (US), Aug 4 (AP) A former Michigan State University head gymnastics coach faced a sentencing hearing Tuesday for lying to police during an investigation into ex-Olympic and university doctor Larry Nassar.
Kathie Klages, 65, was found guilty by a jury in February of a felony and a misdemeanor for denying she knew of Nassar's abuse prior to 2016 when survivors started to come forward publicly.
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The misdemeanor carries up to a 2-year prison sentence or a fine of up to USD 5,000. The felony carries up to a 4-year prison sentence or a fine of up to USD 5,000.
Two women testified in November 2018 that in 1997 they told Klages that Nassar had sexually abused them and spoke Tuesday in court ahead of the sentencing.
One of the women, Larissa Boyce, testified that Klages held up a piece of paper in front of the then-16-year-old and said if she filed a report there could be serious consequences for Boyce.
"I am standing here representing my 16-year-old self who was silenced and humiliated 23 years ago and unfortunately, all of the hundreds of girls that were abused after me," Boyce said.
Klages testified at trial that she did not remember being told about abuse. If the case had not involved Nassar, her lawyer has said, Klages would never have been found guilty.
Nearly 200 letters were submitted to the judge on Klages' behalf, her lawyer, Mary Chartier, said in a court filing ahead of the hearing. She noted that Klages sent her granddaughter, daughter and son to Nassar for health care.
"Mrs Klages was one of thousands of people, including the police and the parents who were present in the room during treatments, who were fooled by a master manipulator with a singular design," Chartier said.
It's "shameful" to say that Klages could have prevented the scandal, Chartier said.
"Numerous people were told about the procedure — nurses, athletic trainers at other schools, psychologists, doctors and a high school counselor — and they did nothing," Chartier said, quoting investigation reports.
"Most notably, police and prosecutors were aware of the procedures, and they did nothing. To ignore this and claim that Mrs. Klages could have stopped the devastation wrought by Mr Nassar is just plain false."
Nassar was sentenced in 2018 to 40 to 175 years in prison for decades of sexual abuse to hundreds of athletes.
Klages is the second person other than Nassar to be convicted of charges related to his serial molestation of young women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.
Nassar's boss at Michigan State, ex-College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean William Strampel, was sentenced to jail for crimes including neglecting a duty to enforce protocols on Nassar after a patient complained about sexual contact in 2014. AP SSC SSC 08042138 NNNNs year in Ayodhya.
"People have started reciting religious hymns, and the atmosphere is absolutely ecstatic. In the two-kilometre radius of Ram temple area, at least 5 lakh earthen lamps will be lit, and in the entire district there will be at least 20 lakh earthen lamps lit on that day,” he said.
Singh claimed that there is not a single potter in Ayodhya who has any earthen lamps left. "We are arranging earthen lamps from Basti, Bahraich, Ambedkarnagar and adjoining districts,” he said.
PhD aspirant Saurav Mishra, another resident of the temple town, said, “The city is giving a bright yellow look, much to the excitement of residents. It is a matter of pride that we are able to see commencement of the construction of Ram temple. We are fortunate enough to see the results of the hard work of our ancestors and experience its success."
Sachin Chaurasia, a businessman said, "There is a festive atmosphere. We are only waiting for August 5."
However, another resident Anshuman Singh, a PhD aspirant, said, "There is excitement in the city as far as construction of Ram temple is concerned. But it seems that all of this is only a publicity for the party (BJP) ahead of the 2022 UP Assembly polls."
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)