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Lou Anna Simon to appear in court Tuesday

Flickr User Patrick Feller
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Former Michigan State University president Lou Anna Simon will be back in Eaton County court Tuesday for a preliminary exam hearing.  Simon is accused of lying to investigators about when she knew of former sports doctor Larry Nassar’s sex crimes.

Simon is charged with two felony and two misdemeanor counts.  Court documents show Simon met with the Michigan State Police last May as part of the state’s probe into the Nassar case. 

The Michigan Attorney General’s office believes Simon lied to or misled investigators in 2016 when she said she only knew that a sports physician was under a 2014 Title IX review. 

Prosecutors say they can prove Simon lied about not knowing Nassar’s identity.  They point to a May 2014 meeting in which one of Simon’s senior aides allegedly brought a folder with Nassar’s name written on it.

The prosecution is expected to call one witness to testify on Tuesday.  More hearings will take place over several days in April.  After hearing from both sides, Judge Julie Reincke will determine whether there’s enough evidence to send the case to trial.