Michigan State legend Magic Johnson calls for firings amid scandal

Michigan State legend Magic Johnson on Monday called for the firing of any employee who failed to report sexual assault allegations on campus to the proper authorities.

Johnson, a Basketball Hall of Famer who led the Spartans to their first NCAA title in 1979, unleashed a tweetstorm in which the only person he identified by name was Tom Izzo, saying he wants to work with the longtime basketball coach "to be a part of the solution any way that I can."

However, Johnson sounded a more ominous tone his initial tweet, writing in part: "If anyone was aware of the sexual assault happening to women on the MSU campus … and didn’t say or do anything about it, they should be fired."

If anyone was aware of the sexual assault happening to women on the MSU campus from the office of the President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty & campus police, and didn’t say or do anything about it, they should be fired.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 29, 2018

Cookie and I stand in support of the victims and their families as they embark on the road to recovery; and I support the movement to hold everyone involved accountable.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 29, 2018

The roles of the new President, Board of Trustees, athletic department, faculty, campus police and students will be to work together to create new policies and procedures to ensure this never happens again.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 29, 2018

As a Spartan, I love MSU and want to work with Coach Izzo, the administration, and the students to be a part of the solution in any way that I can.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 29, 2018

Izzo has spent recent days defending his program's actions while evading questions about his handling of assault allegations against former team members Travis Walton, Keith Appling and Adreian Payne.

According to ESPN's "Outside the Lines," Walton, who was on the MSU team that lost the 2009 championship game, continued to be an undergraduate assistant for Izzo after being charged with punching a female student in 2010. Three months later, Walton was accused of raping a different female student.

"Outside the Lines" also reported that Appling and Payne were accused of raping yet another female student in 2010.

Friday's bombshell report on ESPN.com came amid a crisis at Michigan State that already has seen university president Lou Anna Simon, athletic director Mark Hollis and gymnastics coach Kathie Klages resign. The scandal is symbolized by convicted serial sex offender Larry Nassar, who assaulted scores of women in his role as an athletic department physician.

The NCAA and state of Michigan have launched investigations into allegations that Michigan State employees knew of Nassar’s abuse years before his firing.

ESPN's investigative report says there has been an institutional failure to respond to accusations of sexual abuse and violence within the larger athletic department, including by Izzo's men's basketball program and coach Mark Dantonio's football program, and the university as well.