EAST LANSING, Mich. – Larry Nassar's former boss at Michigan State University has been taken into police custody, officials confirmed Monday.
William Strampel was arrested Monday night and is being held at the Ingham County Jail on unknown charges.
Police did not reveal why Strampel was taken into custody.
Investigators armed with a search warrant and an arrest warrant for Strampel went to his home and took out items, including computers. They also took him away in handcuffs.
READ: Special prosecutor to give update on MSU investigation
Here is a statement from Attorney John C. Manly, who represents several Nassar victims:
"Our clients are encouraged by the Attorney General’s action today. It demonstrates that he is serious about investigating the systemic misconduct at MSU that led to the largest child sex abuse scandal in history and holding the responsible parties accountable.”
Strampel, the former dean of MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine, stepped down as the Nassar scandal unfolded.
Previous controversy
Strampel made comments in support of Nassar in 2016, regarding the allegations of Nassar's sexual abuse to his patients.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Strampel did not believe the hundreds of athletes who accused Nassar of sexual abuse in 2016.
Here is what Strampel said in 2016 when the allegations first came to light:
"This just goes to show that none of you learned the most basic lesson in medicine, medicine 101, that you should have learned in your first week: Don't trust your patients. Patients lie to get doctors in trouble, and we're seeing that right now in the news with this Nassar stuff. I don't think any of these women were actually assaulted by Larry, but Larry didn't learn that lesson and didn't have a chaperone in the room, so now they see an opening and they can take advantage of him.
"As soon as I found out, I had to fire his a--. I didn't want to, but what am I supposed to do?"
The Huffington Post talked with a spokesperson from Michigan State, who said MSU would not speak on behalf of Strampel, but said that John Engler, MSU's interim president, began the process of terminating Strampel's employment in February. That process, however, could take up to one year.
“William Strampel did not act with the level of professionalism we expect from individuals who hold senior leadership positions, particularly in a position that involves student and patient safety,” Engler said. “We are sending an unmistakable message today that we will remove employees who do not treat students, faculty, staff or anyone else in our community in an appropriate manner.”
Strampel stepped down as dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State for medical reasons in December 2016. He had been the dean of that college since 2002.
Nassar was fired from MSU in September 2016 over the allegations of sexual abuse. He was then arrested in November 2016 on charges of child pornography. He was sentenced in January to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing hundreds of gymnasts and other athletes.
Nassar's work with gymnasts began in 1978, and he became an athletic trainer on the U.S. gymnastics team in 1986. He became a team physician and assistant professor at MSU in 1997.