Have You Been Injured? We're Ready to Fight for You.

The Importance of Title IX After Larry Nassar’s Trials

Published on Feb 9, 2018 at 1:08 pm in Title IX.

One of our nation’s most horrific cases of sexual assault at a massive level came to light last November when 54-year-old Larry Nassar was convicted of 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and served with more than 150 lawsuits from women claiming he sexually assaulted them under the guise of “medical treatment”. Larry Nassar was a sports physician at Michigan State University, doctor for Team USA, and served as the USA Gymnastics’ national medical coordinator for more than 20 combined years—all the while committing sexual crimes to underage girls.

The most horrifying detail of this case might be the fact that it’s being discovered that multiple university administrators, faculty members, and even a few parents had been notified that the sexual crimes were happening and turned a blind eye. According to an investigative article by ESPN, multiple students reported Nassar after being sexually assaulted and/or manipulated. After all these instances, the reports were buried and ignored. Why? Because Nassar manipulated more than just his students.

According to the article, Nassar knew what he was doing, knew how athletically gifted his students were and how much their parents wished to see them become Olympic athletes, and knew how to manipulate parents and university faculty members alike to think nothing could possibly be out of the ordinary when he spent so much time alone with his female students—even to the point of being alone with them at his own house.

According to parents, he was type of person anyone could trust because he would do “anything for anybody at any time of day that you asked.” He emotionally manipulated everyone who worked with him or sought his assistance in taking care of young gymnasts. He was allowed to do evasive medical procedures on underage girls without anyone else being in the room or with parental consent. University staff members who knew simply brushed the issue aside and instructed parents that it needed to be “kept quiet”.

The time to keep quiet is finally over. Over the past few months, Nassar’s victims came forward to report the crimes he’s committed. In hearings held in January 2018, victims finally told their stories of what happened and how Nassar was able to get away with it. For anyone who hears or reads about these stories, the retellings are heartbreaking.

How and why was this allowed to happen? Nassar may have been an emotional manipulator and sexual predator unlike any the university/organization had seen, but the fact that so many professionals turned a blind eye to his acts proves that our system must change. Schools and institutions must do more to protect students—and they must actually believe the victims when they come forward reporting a sexual crime.

In the U.S., we have a federal law that protects victims of sexual violence/harassment in educational institutions. This law is referred to as Title IX. Title IX protects victims of sexual violence by requiring school authorities to investigate any reports made immediately—even if there is only a single report made. When schools fail to follow Title IX procedures, they can face severe legal ramifications.

In the case of Larry Nassar, there was a total of one Title IX claim brought up against him during his years of sexual misconduct that was later dropped. It’s obvious that multiple school authorities and faculty members were guilty of failing to follow Title IX procedures. Nassar was sentenced for up to 175 years in prison by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who told him, “It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. Because, sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again.” MSU and USA Olympics are now facing legal charges as well.

If you or someone you love was a victim of sexual violence at a school or university in the United States and you feel the school’s authorities or faculty members did not take the necessary steps to stop the misconduct in its tracks, you have a legal right to file a Title IX lawsuit against the institution or professional. A civil lawsuit can be filed in addition to any criminal charges that may be in place.

To learn more, get in touch with Thomas Law Offices as soon as possible. Our Title IX lawyers can file a claim on your behalf and help you obtain justice for acts that should not have been allowed to happen.

Free Case Evaluation

At Thomas Law Offices, our personal injury attorneys recognize that our potential clients are likely going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. We don't want you to have to worry about paying out of pocket for legal advice when you're just starting to learn your legal rights and options. That's why we provide free case evaluations. We'll offer our expert advice about your potential case and walk you through how we can help you.

Call us or fill out the form below to tell us about your potential case and a personal injury lawyer will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Meet Our Founder

Tad Thomas - Trial Lawyer

Tad Thomas

Managing Partner

Tad Thomas has dedicated his practice to representing plaintiffs in various types of civil litigation, including personal injury, business litigation, class actions, and multi-district litigation.

After graduating with his law degree in 2000 from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, Mr. Thomas immediately opened his own private practice and began representing injury victims.

In 2011, Thomas Law Offices was established in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the past decade, Mr. Thomas has expanded his firm and now has offices in three additional locations: Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbia, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. He is also a frequent lecturer on topics like trial skills and ethics and technology.

Legal & Firm News

When Prior Authorization Leads to Harm Caused by Delayed Care

In March 2023, the American Medical Association (AMA) released the results of a survey conducted on the impact of health insurance prior authorization (PA) on patient care and outcomes. The survey results revealed shocking information about the extent to which health insurance companies control the type of medical care patients receive. At Thomas Law Offices, […]

Read More

How Do I Sue a Hospital for Medical Negligence?

Medical errors and other types of health care professional negligence have soared in recent years. Data recently published by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) shows that at least 251,000 patient deaths are estimated to be attributable to physician mistakes or other types of medical errors annually. Countless others fall ill or suffer injuries while […]

Read More

Ohio Car and Booster Seat Laws

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and disability for children (aged 0-14) in the United States. But most of these deaths can be prevented. When we put our children in the car, we owe it to them to give them the safest experience possible. […]

Read More
Tad Thomas on The National Crime Victim Bar Association
National Civil Justice Institute - Trustee
Tad Thomas on Lawyer Minds
Tad Thomas on American Association for Justice
Southern Trial Lawyers Association
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Ohio Association for Justice
Kentucky Justice Association
Fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America
Martindale Hubbell Preeminent
2021 Public Justice Member
AAJ Masters of Trial Law: Champion