LOCAL

MSU football athletic trainer charged with attempted sex assault, domestic violence

Megan Banta Kara Berg
Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING — A Michigan State football athletic trainer is accused of attempted sexual assault, domestic violence and lying to a police officer, court records show.

David Jager, 39, was charged with using violence against women in two Ingham County district courts. 

MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant said Thursday evening that Jager is still employed by the university but has been on paid administrative leave since March 2018. She could not comment on the reason. 

Jager is accused of assaulting his girlfriend at Spartan Stadium in August 2015 and lying about it, according to East Lansing 54B District Court records. Both charges are misdemeanors. 

David Jager

Jager also is charged with attempting to sexually assault a different woman in Lansing  in February 2016. In that case he faces a felony charge and up to 10 years in prison. 

Jager was one of 11 people who the Attorney's General office named in a December report as having failed to report their knowledge of Larry Nassar's abuse before it became public. 

In 2015, Jager's girlfriend told him that Nassar had "groped" her, according to the report, which called out MSU's "culture of indifference and institutional protection" that the AG's office said contributed to hundreds of women and girls being sexually abused. 

The woman told AG investigators that Jager responded with indifference, telling her Nassar was "the best in the world," according to the report. Jager said he told his girlfriend to make a report if she felt uncomfortable. 

None of the current criminal charges are related to Nassar, Jager's attorney Mary Chartier and Ingham County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mike Cheltenham said. 

Jager is due back to 54B District Court for a pretrial conference in late August. He was released on a $2,500 personal recognizance bond that includes a no contact order for the woman he's accused of assaulting. There's no court appearances scheduled yet in 54A District Court in Lansing. 

He's worked at the university as an athletic trainer since 2013. In addition to working with the football team, he assists with the men's and women's tennis teams. 

Read more:

Here are 11 MSU employees who AG's office said knew of Nassar's abuse, but didn't report it

Special prosecutor: MSU actions 'made it virtually impossible to know' truth about Nassar

State board: Investigation of sexual assault complaint against Nassar in 2014 'deficient'

New MSU president on Nassar abuse: 'We never want to see a repeat of it, but we don’t want to forget it'

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Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95. Contact reporter Megan Banta at (517) 377-1261 or mbanta@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1.