"I believe it is very important when something horrific like this occurs not to cover it up, but instead to bring what happened to light and to learn from it." Lansing State Journal 1/19/22

MSU Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson, who is an attorney, said at a meeting in December 2020 that she had reviewed the privileged records and the contents were “consistent with information that is already in the public domain.” Knake Jefferson was appointed to the board in December 2019 to fill Nancy Schlichting’s term, which ends in January 2023. She is not an MSU alumna, but taught law at MSU for a decade.

Knake Jefferson reiterated that public statement when asked for comment in January, but later followed up and said she does not think her own review of the documents should replace an outside investigation, a review by the AG's office or a review by any external body.

"I believe it is very important when something horrific like this occurs not to cover it up, but instead to bring what happened to light and to learn from it," Knake Jefferson wrote in a Jan. 12 email to a reporter. "The only way we can avoid trauma from repeating itself is if we study the history carefully and we remember the lessons from past mistakes, harms, errors, etc."

Read the full Lansing State Journal article here.