WASHINGTON – John Engler will testify Tuesday before a U.S. Senate panel as the investigation into former Michigan State University physician Larry Nassar's sex abuse scandal continues.
Engler, who was appointed interim university president after longtime president Lou Anna Simon resigned, is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security.
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- Hearing scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. -- watch live here (above)
The hearing is set to explain what changes have been made by the university to protect young athletes from sexual predators such as Nassar. Witnesses include Engler and the following:
- Ms. Susanne Lyons, Acting Chief Executive Officer, United States Olympic Committee
- Ms. Kerry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, USA Gymnastics
- Mr. Han Xiao, Chairman, Athletes' Advisory Council
Michigan State searching for new president
Engler is expected to hold on to his title for another year as the school plans to name the next president by June 2019. The search committee will be formed in August, school officials said.
Engler said his focus during the next year will be to pave the way for a smooth transition.
Trustees Dianne Byrum and Melanie Foster are leading the search. They're focused on getting as much input as possible to form the search committee and determine what the next president needs to bring to the table, MSU said.
"Given what's happened, they have to be a good listener, obviously," Byrum said.
"I would add (that they need) to understand and to voice institutional integrity," Foster said.
Two faculty members and two students were at the meeting, demanding to know why people who hired the interim president should be trusted to hire the permanent one.
"You cannot equate the crisis this university was in in January to the long hiring process of the next president of the university," a faculty member said.