LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State University coach Kathie Klages faced a judge Friday to make her case in Lansing.
She is accused of lying to Michigan State police detectives about alleged knowledge prior to 2016 of Nassar’s sexual misconduct.
Klages was charged with one felony and one misdemeanor count of lying to a peace officer.
Survivors of Nassar’s sexual abuse have claimed they reported it to Klages, some reports were allegedly made more than 20 years ago.
Klages said she does not remember any conversation.
Klages spent 27 years at MSU as a gymnastics coach and was one of Larry Nassar’s most vocal defenders.
Prosecutors asked her about her first meeting with her team after reports on Nassar’s abuse went public in 2016. She reportedly brought in a “thinking of you” card for the team to sign for Nassar.
“I defended Larry Nassar,” Klages said. “I told him I had sent my children to Dr. Nassar and, at that point in time, I trusted Larry Nassar. I described it as a passionate statement supporting him. I was also very concerned about my athletes thinking MSU could send them to somebody that could possibly hurt them -- which, at that time, I did not know that that was the situation.”
That was a point of emphasis by her defense team -- her timeline of when she was allegedly told of the abuse of her athletes and then sending three of her children and one grand children to see Nassar afterward. Defense lawyers are asking, why would she do that if she knew?