Kathie Klages Handed 90-Day Jail Time for Involvement in Nassar-Related Case

Klages' attorney, Mary Chartier, has said if the case had not involved Nassar, Klages would never have been found guilty.

She called Nassar a “master manipulator” and said Klages sent her granddaughter, daughter and sons to Nassar for health care.

Chartier tried to mitigate Klages' part in the abuse, saying she was among “thousands" who had been present in the room during Nassar's treatments, including parents.

Nassar's accusers say he molested them with his ungloved hands, often without explanation, while they were seeking help for various injuries.

He sometimes used a sheet or his body to block the view of any parent in the room.

“Numerous people were told about the procedure — nurses, athletic trainers at other schools, psychologists, doctors and a high school counselor — and they did nothing,” Chartier said, quoting investigation reports.

“Most notably, police and prosecutors were aware of the procedures, and they did nothing. To ignore this and claim that Mrs. Klages could have stopped the devastation wrought by Mr. Nassar is just plain false.”

Nearly 200 letters were submitted to the judge on Klages’ behalf, including from former gymnasts.

Chartier argued that jail was an unfit punishment for Klages as a non-violent first offender, and because of her age and a heart murmur, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Defense planned to appeal the sentence.

Draganchuk said she was confident of Covid-19 safety protocols in the jail.

After the hearing, Boyce said she was relieved to have testified against Klages and Nassar.

“I feel much lighter. I feel like I can breathe. I feel like I can finally move forward and past all this,” Boyce said.

“I hope that the fact that she got jail time deters other people and people truly believe children and women who come forward with allegations of assault.”

Klages is the second person to be convicted of charges related to Nassar's case.

Nassar’s boss at Michigan State, ex-College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean William Strampel, was sentenced to jail for crimes including neglecting a duty to enforce protocols on Nassar after a patient complained about sexual contact in 2014. 

(Writer: Anna Liz Nichols) 

Source: https://apnews.com/4b6996366b3b543575d67e968e55b7a5