LOCAL

Michigan AG to investigate gymnastics coach John Geddert, who owned gym where Larry Nassar volunteered

Matt Mencarini
Lansing State Journal
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announces that her office will investigate gymnastics coach John Geddert, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, during a press conference at the Frank Kelley Law Library at the AG's office.

LANSING – The Michigan Attorney General’s Office will take over review of the criminal investigation of John Geddert, the former local gymnastics center owner with close ties to Larry Nassar.

Geddert coached the gold medal winning 2012 U.S. Olympic women's gymnastics team in the London games. And he was mentioned during each day of Nassar's seven-day sentencing hearing in Ingham County, with some women and girls who had trained there recalling harsh conditions and saying Geddert broke gymnasts "mentally and physically."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel takes a seat after announcing that her office would investigate gymnastics coach John Geddert, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, during a press conference at the Frank Kelley Law Library at the AG's office.

The Eaton County investigation, launched amid Nassar’s state sentencing hearings and intense public criticism of Geddert, has been going on for more than a year. Prosecuting Attorney Doug Lloyd said last month that he had no timeline for deciding whether or not to charge Geddert.

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced during a news conference on Thursday morning that her office was taking over review of the Geddert investigation. 

Danielle Hagaman-Clark, a prosecutor with experience handling homicide, serial rape and untested rape kit cases, will lead the Geddert investigation, Nessel said. She added that any and all potential crimes are will be pursed in the Geddert investigation.

Cameron Getto, an attorney for Geddert, didn't return a message seeking comment.

While giving an update on her office's investigation of Michigan State University, Nessel also said the university, which requested the AG investigate it more than a year ago, continues to show a lack of cooperation. 

"(MSU's Board of Trustees) have made the work of our department extraordinarily difficult," she said, later adding that she wanted to "remind the board of their fiduciary obligation to the people of this state. 

"That means that the Board of Trustees has an obligation to act in the best interest of the people of this state, not MSU's donors and not its brand image."

John Geddert's ties to Larry Nassar

Geddert’s ties with Nassar date back decades and he was sued, along with Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, by hundreds of women and girls abused by Nassar. Many of those who sued said their abuse happened at Geddert’s gymnastics club in Eaton County, where Nassar volunteered as a doctor.

The criminal investigation of John Geddert, launched amid Larry Nassar's sentencing hearings, has been ongoing for more than a year.

Geddert was forced by USA Gymnastics to relinquish ownership of the gym last year. He founded the gym in 1996 and has twice previously been investigated by police for his conduct there.

Three of Nassar's 10 sexual assault convictions relate to abuse at Twistars. At least one of the women who testified in Nassar's criminal cases said Geddert walked in on one instance of her abuse.

The day after Nassar was sentenced in Eaton County, which followed the Ingham County sentencing, the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office said it was again actively investigating complaints Geddert.

Eaton County reviews investigations

In November, the Sheriff's Office sent "three or four 4-inch-thick binders" to prosecutors, Lloyd, the Eaton County prosecutor, said last month.

He added that he and an assistant prosecutor had been reviewing the reports and requested additional investigation by the Sheriff's Office, but that there was no timeline for a decision on whether to charge Geddert.

"The AG reached out to me in regard to this matter," Lloyd said on Thursday after Nessel's briefing. "After reviewing the matter with her, she felt her office, in reality, should have had the case to begin with and for whatever reason the prior administration chose not to keep the case."

He added that he agreed with Nessel that the case should be handled by the AG’s Office.

Kelly Rossman-McKinney, a spokeswoman for the AG's Office, said while the office offered its support to police early on, it never received the case or requests for charges. The Eaton County Sheriff's Office, which was leading the investigation, took the case to Lloyd's office.

David Mittleman, an attorney who represents dozens of the women and girls Nassar abused, including those who were abused at Twistars, said he's "delighted" that the AG's Office has the case.

"I know that there are a lot of frustrated people who have attempted to come forward but the Eaton County prosecutor has been unwilling to act despite what I believe are sufficient facts to charge Geddert," Mittleman said, adding that he's hopeful in the new direction. 

John Manly, another attorney who represents many of Nassar's victims, said in a statement that he and his clients are pleased that the AG is now involved. 

"Many of our clients reported abuse by Nassar at Geddert’s gym, and also alleged physical and emotional abuse by Geddert as a coach," he said. 

"It is our expectation that the Attorney General’s investigation will be thorough and will hold Geddert accountable if any criminal conduct is uncovered."

This is the third time prosecutors have reviewed police investigations involving Geddert.

In 2011, Geddert and an employee got into a heated argument, according to a police report, and outside the gym he stepped on her foot so she couldn't walk away and then "chest bumped her." Eaton County prosecutors declined to charge Geddert, saying they could not prove "assaultive intent beyond a reasonable doubt," according to the police report.

Two years later, in October 2013, police investigated Geddert for physically assaulting a gymnast, records show. The gymnast, a juvenile, told police that Geddert got mad at her during practice and took her into a locker room where he stepped on her foot, grabbed her arm and pushed her into a wall. The girl told police she was scared during the incident and worried Geddert might put his hands on her during practice in the future.

Geddert told police he didn't assault the gymnast, but wanted her to sit on a bench in the locker room because he wanted to talk with her about her behavior. 

Lloyd, the current Eaton County prosecutor, reviewed the investigation. He ordered Geddert to complete counseling or face charges. Geddert later completed the counseling and the case was closed, according to a police report.

The AG investigation of MSU and its employees’ handling of Nassar, who worked for USAG and MSU for decades, was announced last year. To date, the investigation has charged three current or former MSU officials, including former university President Lou Anna Simon. 

Seeking John Engler interview

Nessel said at Thursday's briefing that investigators are still seeking an interview with John Engler, the former interim university president who took over in January 2018 after long-time university President Lou Anna Simon resigned. Engler, a former Michigan governor, stepped down from his role at the university last month. 

Dating back to last year, MSU had been fighting a search warrant the AG's Office obtained seeking university documents. That legal fight ended up in East Lansing District Court Judge Richard Ball's courtroom. Nessel said on Thursday that Ball had completed a review of some documents and ruled that more than 6,000 documents would not be handed over to investigators. 

Nessel said the university's lack of cooperation in the investigation, which its Board of Trustees originally requested, has continued since she took office. William Forsyth, a former Kent County prosecutor who had led the investigation for several months, was highly critical of the university's lack of transparency when he released a status report in December ahead of the transition to Nessel's team.

Nessel said on Thursday that she hopes that new university Board of Trustees will take a different stance than the previous board, waive attorney-client privilege and turn over all documents to investigators. The eight-member board has three new trustees who began their duties in January. 

MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson declined to comment beyond saying any decision would be made by the entire board. Brianna Scott also declined to comment. Messages were left seeking comment from a university spokeswoman and MSU Trustees Brian Mosallam, Kelly Tebay, Melanie Foster and Dianne Byrum.

On Wednesday, the AG’s Office and the state’s licensing agency took action against two MSU athletic trainers they say lied to police about their knowledge of sexual assault reports against Nassar.

The action sets off an administrative process that could lead to penalties, which would be decided by a disciplinary subcommittee of the Michigan Board of Athletic Trainers. Sanctions could include fines or the suspension or loss of their professional licenses.

Nessel wouldn't say whether either of those trainers —  Destiny Teachnor-Hauk and Lianna Hadden — would also face criminal charges of lying to police. 

"We felt that it was important, at this time, with the information that we had to move forward in an effort to sanction their licenses," she said. "We thought that was incredibly important since, of course, they are still acting right now in their professional capacity."

Nassar, 55, formerly of Holt, is serving a 60-year prison sentence on federal child pornography charges. He was sentenced to decades more in prison on 10 sexual assault charges.

Support local journalism and subscribe to the Lansing State Journal here. Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.