University President Mark Schlissel began the Thursday evening Board of Regents meeting by acknowledging the survivors of former University athletic doctor Robert Anderson, who has been accused of over 2,000 incidents of sexual abuse.
One survivor, Jonathan Vaughn, a former U-M running back, has camped outside of Schlissel’s South University residence since Oct. 8 to raise awareness of the situation and demand accountability from the University. He has said he will continue to do so until Schlissel and the Board of Regents agree to a meeting with him.
“We’ve heard from many survivors of abuse by Dr. Robert Anderson,” Schlissel said. “We thank them for coming forward and sharing deeply personal and painful stories, through public comment sessions with investigators to news media and demonstrations, including the one on the Ann Arbor campus in front of my house. The Regents and I have heard them. We are listening intently and encourage any survivors to speak out.”
Following the Regents meeting, Vaughn held a conference call outside of Schlissel’s residence to respond to his comments, saying Schlissel has yet to speak directly with him or other survivors that have been camped outside his house for 13 days now.
“I’ve never heard (Schlissel) speak to any Anderson survivors,” Vaughn said. “I was standing 100 feet from him yesterday, I know he knew who I was because we were standing on the sidewalk as he was walking toward his house, and he never spoke a word.”
Vaughn also expressed his frustrations that Schlissel hasn’t introduced himself to Vaughn and other Anderson survivors.
“I’m not trying to resolve this case in an interaction with the President at his house. But, speak to me like a human being — that has never been done,” Vaughn said. “We’re always referred to as either John Does or victims. What would I like him to say? How about just ‘Hello’? Introduce yourself.”
Daily Staff Reporters Christian Juliano and Justin O’Beirne can be reached at julianoc@umich.edu and justinob@umich.edu.
To read The Michigan Daily’s other coverage of the Oct. 21 Regents meeting, see below: