Former Michigan State President Lou Anna Simon Retires

Simon resigned as president of Michigan State in 2018 amid criticism for her handling of the Larry Nassar case.

Former Michigan State president Lou Anna Simon will retire from the university on Aug. 31, the school announced on Tuesday.

Under the terms of her retirement, Simon will hold the titles of president emeritus and faculty emeritus. She will receive three annual salary payments totaling $2.45 million.

Simon served as Michigan State's president from 2005-2018 before resigning that January amid rampant criticism for her handling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. She returned to a tenured faculty position, from which she is now retiring, under her presidential contract.

Simon faces charges of lying to the police in an investigation related to the Nassar case. The Michigan Attorney General accused her of lying about her knowledge of a sexual assualt complaint against Nassar in 2014, when he still worked at Michigan State.

Along with his duties as doctor for the USA Gymnastics national team, Nassar ran a clinic and gymnastics club at Michigan State, where he was a faculty member for decades. Nassar sexually abused more than 150 girls under the guise of medical treatment during his tenure with USAG and Michigan State, and was sentenced to 175 years of prison for his sexual abuse. He was also previously sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Samuel Stanley Jr., who previously served as the president of Stony Brook University, will start as Michigan State's next president on Thursday.