U-M Regent Weiser, an Anderson abuse survivor, attacks AG Nessel over possible Anderson probe

Detroit Free Press - 6/10/2021

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday morning any possible probe by her office into how the University of Michigan handled reports over the years of sexual assaults by Dr. Robert Anderson would have to come only after the school's Board of Regents asked for such a review.

It didn't take long for one board member — one with a recent history with Nessel — to weigh in.

Regent Ron Weiser, who is also the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, used the state's GOP Twitter feed to respond.

"As the only Regent who was a victim of Dr. Anderson, Dana Nessel is the last person I'd call for justice. Sh's politicized every inch of her office. Sex abuse is not partisan and it's not political. I'm disappointed but not surprised by the AG's comments." - Chair Ron Weiser

Weiser wrote that as he is the only regent who is a victim of Anderson, "Dana Nessel is the last person I'd call for justice." She's "politicized every inch of her office. Sex abuse is not partisan and it's not political. I'm disappointed but not surprised by the AG's comments."

Weiser has said he saw Anderson while a U-M student in the late 1960s and was sexually assaulted by him.

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Nessel had been asked by reporters whether her office would launch an investigation into U-M, given additional allegations just surfacing. In the past, the attorney general's office investigated Michigan State University, first under her predecessor Bill Schuette and then Nessel after she took office, and how it handled reports of abuse involving longtime employee Dr. Larry Nassar. Nessel closed that probe after thousands of documents weren't given to her office by MSU, which claimed that attorney-client privilege meant they couldn't be disclosed.

The questions about U-M came on Thursday to Nessel as Matt Schembechler held a news conference to say he had informed his dad, famed football coach Bo Schembechler, in 1969 that he had been sexually assaulted by Anderson and his father did nothing about it.

Anderson went on to work as a doctor at U-M until 2002, including being the head medical doctor for Schembechler's teams.

Hundreds of U-M athletes have accused Anderson of sexually assaulting them, including fondling their genitals and giving them rectal exams, even when they showed up with sore elbows or sore throats. Other U-M students have accused Anderson of giving out draft deferrals from the Vietnam War in exchange for sex acts.

Hundreds of men have sued the university for not stopping Anderson. The cases are currently in mediation in federal court. In May, an investigation conducted by the law firm WilmerHale concluded that Anderson's misconduct was reported "several times between 1978 and 1981," but that a "senior University administrator ... did not take appropriate action."

Nessel said there were barriers to an investigation of U-M, repeating what she has said in the past.

"We know already from experience that there are a lot of hurdles that they can put in our way, a lot of obstacles they can put in our way, if they choose to, that would really mean that we would not be able to get the answers for people that they so badly would like to know. But, you know, again, if they do want us to conduct such an investigation and they're willing to abide by our terms, the regents at the University of Michigan have my number — except for Ron Weiser, I won't give him my number."

Weiser has been under fire for comments he made earlier this year about Nessel and other elected Democrats. During a March political event he referred to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as "witches" and used the word "assassination" when asked what Republicans could do about U.S. Reps. Peter Meijer and Fred Upton, GOP congressmen who voted in favor of impeaching then-President Donald Trump.

Nessel told the Free Press in March a university regent asked her whether Weiser could have the attorney general's private cellphone number.

"A private conversation means absolutely nothing, it's the public that needs to hear an apology. And it's the public that needs to hear him walk back these statements of hateful rhetoric that can inspire others into conduct that can be harmful to any of the five of us that he's talked about," Nessel said in a phone interview then. "I can only assume that his language was intended to be as hostile and violent as it was. Because when you say something that you realize you're mistaken about, the way that you phrased it, you apologize for it, you walk it back. And he's refused to do so."

U-M President Mark Schlissel, Provost Susan Collins, the deans of the Ann Arbor campus, and the Board of Regents all condemned Weiser's comments at the time. The board also voted to censure Weiser over the remarks and called on him to resign.

Faculty, students and staff submitted a petition to get Weiser's name taken down from a building on campus. Weiser is one of U-M's top 10 donors. Among other gifts, the Weiser family donated $50 million in 2014, which was used to renovate the building now bearing the family name. On Friday, Schlissel said he wouldn't be recommending removing the name.

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.