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Aly Raisman's mom: Is Tom Izzo 'moron' or 'liar' after Nassar comments?

Kirkland Crawford
Detroit Free Press
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo on the bench during the second half against Michigan on Jan. 13.

Lynn Raisman, the mother of Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman, criticized Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo for his comments on Friday in regards to the Larry Nassar court hearings.

After Friday's win over Indiana at Breslin Center, Izzo answered questions hours after the MSU Board of Trustees publicly supported school president Lou Anna Simon, who has been under intense scrutiny for how she's handled not only the Nassar case but the subsequent fallout.

More:

MSU board member Mitch Lyons calls for embattled president Lou Anna Simon to resign

In a quote tweet of Free Press sports writer Chris Solari's transcript of Izzo's comments, Raisman wrote: "I'm sorry it's been a difficult week for you. Did you hear, Larry Nassar also said it was difficult. Since you 'hope the right person was convicted' I wonder if you are a complete and total MORON or just a LIAR when you claim you listened to the impact statements."

The Free Press reached out to Michigan State on Saturday night seeking comment from Izzo, but did not hear back. 

On Friday, Aly Raisman read her impact statement as one of the dozens of victims of sexual assault at the hands of Nassar, who pled guilty to seven counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County. Friday was the fourth consecutive day of victims addressing Nassar in court as a part of the sentencing hearing.

Raisman, captain of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning gymnastics teams, was among those who spoke Friday in court, along with 2012 teammate and DeWitt native Jordyn Wieber.

Related:

Simone Biles, four-time Olympic gold medalist, alleges Larry Nassar sexually abused her

Former Olympian Aly Raisman confronts Larry Nassar in Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's courtroom Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, during the Day 4 of victim impact statements regarding the former sports medicine doctor, who pled guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Ingham County, and three in Eaton County.

Izzo comments

On Simon: "It’s been a very difficult week for me. As a father, it’s been a difficult week. I listened to the stories of courageous women. I look at the survivors who spoke and, in all honesty, Nassar permanently damaged and changed the lives of so many of those people. I feel like it’s changed the life of all of us at Michigan State in some way, shape or form. As a father, that’s difficult to even fathom. I hope the right person was convicted.

"I have to say, though, that I have the utmost – the utmost – faith and respect for the leadership of our president, too, at Michigan State. That’s a woman who has dedicated over 40 years – and I’ve been here 33 with her, and I think I know what she stands for. So I hope and pray that those survivors continue to grow in their life. I hope we do everything we can to make sure that this will never happen ever again – not only at this institution, but any institution to be honest with you.

"But there has been a lot of sad days for me in a lot of ways. I’m gonna to try do to everything I can to help the survivors and to help us grow from this and learn from it and move forward. That’s all I have to say."

For those who have criticized the university and want a change in leadership, what do you have to say as one of the faces of the school? "You know, when I talk to you guys about basketball, it’s really easy. I really don’t give a damn if you agree with me or not. But I mean, you have to understand there is nothing I can say that is gonna be right right now, and there is nothing that’s gonna make anybody right. I’ll just stick by what I said. The survivors are the most courageous people – I can’t even imagine. I hate when I’m put in a position when I can almost start saying, ‘I know what you’re going through,’ because I have no clue what they’re going through and never will, and I hope I never find out. But I also, I just gotta say that that is a situation that I think is being dealt with and has been dealt with. And there is no way I could waver on the support for my administration or my president knowing the 35 years I have spent here on what she has done for this university, what she has stood for – not only athletics, that’s a small part. For women’s groups, for different groups, I think she’s been a champion. I hope and pray that the survivors get through this. But I also hope that we take a serious look at what we’re doing."

 

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