Anyone who watched the sentencing of disgraced doctor, Larry Nassar, had to be impacted by the enormity of his wrongdoing and how it remained hidden for so long. But recent facts that have come to light reveal that Michigan State University had an opportunity to get ahead of the abuse when the allegations surfaced, but it did not.

According to the Lansing State Journal, MSU failed to conduct a full-blown independent investigation at the onset, when according to news reports it instead relied on internal personnel to head the probe. Later, according to the Detroit News, when the school finally secured outside counsel for assistance, it mislead the public to believe it was done as part of an independent investigation. Now MSU will have to face the consequences of its apparent inaction. In addition to an increasingly tarnished reputation in the court of public opinion, it faces a full investigation by Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette, who has indicated that he’ll spare no expense to find out who knew what and when. Consequences may be enormous for the school.