The ripple effect of college sex abuse scandals: How schools, organizations & physicians are responding

Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Several schools are exploring new policies following the sexual abuse scandals involving former university athletics team physicians Larry Nassar and Richard Strauss, NBC News reports.

Larry Nassar is a former East Lansing-based Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics team physician, and the late Richard Strauss was a team physician at Columbus-based The Ohio State University.

Here's what you should know:

1. West Lafayette, Ind.-based Purdue University is developing a policy requiring chaperones to monitor team physicians during exams. The policy will require an exam chaperone to be present even if students don't request one. Michigan State implemented a similar policy in 2017.

2. American Medical Society for Sports Medicine President Chad Asplund, MD, said physicians are bringing in chaperones for their own protection.

Dr. Asplund, who works at Statesboro-based Georgia Southern University, said he's now more diligent about involving chaperones when examining female athletes or asking patients to take off clothing.

3. Madison-based University of Wisconsin is in the midst of reviewing its practices, including safety measures for team physicians.

4. Pocatello-based Idaho State University's Dani Moffit, who leads a master's program in athletic training, is incorporating lectures on sexual abuse and helping other colleges develop training on the topic.

5. The National Athletic Trainers' Association issued new guidance to members on how to identify abuse.

6. Iowa City-based University of Iowa athletics officials told NBC News they're "following the national conversation" to see if changes are necessary. Both Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan and Champaign-based University of Illinois declined to comment.

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