GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Michigan State University has renewed its motion to dismiss the federal lawsuits it's facing over sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, the former sports medicine doctor it fired in 2016.
The university's attorneys filed the initial motion to dismiss on Jan. 12, just days before the start of Nassar's Ingham County sentencing hearing. The renewed motion addresses new plaintiffs who filed since early February and the details in those filings. The number of people suing has increased from around 140 to more than 250.
MSU, USA Gymnastics, Twistars gymnastics club and others are being sued for failing to protect women and girls from sexual abuse by Nassar, who pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault last year.
"MSU Defendants respectfully request that the Court grant this Motion and dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaints in their entirety with prejudice, and award any other relief to which the MSU Defendants may be entitled, and the Court deems appropriate, under the circumstances," MSU's attorneys wrote in the motion filed around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
Hours earlier, the federal judge in Grand Rapids who is handling the lawsuits granted a stipulated motion allowing the parties involved to re-enter mediation, which could lead to a settlement. The stipulated order was filed Tuesday evening.
In a statement about the return to mediation, interim MSU President John Engler said, "Michigan State University is pleased that mediation will restart. The university remains committed to reaching a fair settlement with all the survivors."
Dr. William Strampel, former dean of MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, is among the defendants in the lawsuits. Strampel was Nassar's boss and on Tuesday was charged with a felony and three misdemeanors as part of a Michigan Attorney General's Office investigation of sexual misconduct at the university.
According to court records, Strampel used his position to sexually "harass, discriminate, demean, sexually proposition and sexually assault female students." He faces charges related to his conduct during and after a 2014 Title IX investigation of Nassar.
Strampel, along with other MSU employees, is among the defendants represented in the university's renewed motion to dismiss.
As of March 2, the university had been billed for $9 million by six different law firms for work related to Nassar, according to records obtained by the State Journal.
When MSU filed its initial motion to dismiss it argued that, as a state institution, it "retains absolute immunity from liability" for Nassar's actions. The university also argued that the statute of limitations for many of the women and girls had expired.
The Michigan Senate passed a package of bills earlier this month that would remove those road blocks. The bills are awaiting action in the state House.
Earlier on Wednesday, Twistars gymnastics club in Dimondale, which is also a defendant in the federal lawsuits, filed its renewed motion to dismiss.
Nassar, 54, formerly of Holt, is serving a 60-year federal prison sentence on three federal child pornography charges. He was also sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison in Michigan prison, but would not serve that time until finishing his federal sentence.
Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.