In a time of anguish early last April, before the trees were budding, parents of Sister Survivors gathered together to

tie prayer ribbons on a Hawthorn tree in front of Wills House, the location of Lou Anna Simon’s new offices. In
folklore, the Hawthorn is said to open the heart. The tree also is said to symbolize love and protection, our purpose
as parents.

Each of the prayer ribbons signifies a particular survivor, and we hope that those seeing the ribbons will recognize
the meaning behind them. They are a reminder to continue to pray for all survivors of sexual assault, including our
Sister Survivors, and for those in power at MSU to openly and transparently acknowledge what occurred on the
MSU campus.

We appreciate the support of so many in the broader campus community; however, we believe the 300 ribbons
must remain as long as MSU has work left undone. Specifically, we look for these signs that the culture at MSU
truly is changing:

 The healing fund, just this month re-created by the Board of Trustees, must begin quickly; be funded at
the level of the first, cancelled fund; and include all those covered under the first fund. The board must
ensure that this fund cannot be shut down again unilaterally by an interim president without board
members’ consent.
 The 177 documents that the Attorney General's office requested in its investigation of MSU must be
released, as ordered by the court, and the university must stop stonewalling our state’s Attorney General.
 Leadership must listen to survivors and their families. Board members should invite the group of survivors
who want to be heard to a private conversation. The final candidates for president of the university
should offer the same listening sessions. Without hearing firsthand from survivors what went wrong,
progress cannot be made.
 The university should support survivors, especially students on campus, by funding healing workshops
coordinated through the MSU Museum.
 The Board of Trustees must find a way to put a stop to the harmful, hurtful actions and words coming
from the general counsel and president. This case is not past tense simply because of a settlement. A
changed and improved culture would not include continued attacks on the survivors by the interim
president of this university.

The university’s top leadership has yet to take responsibility or acknowledged the role MSU played in the sexual
assaults on children that continued for decades. Facing a court action and settling a sum on some of the survivors
does not equate with taking responsibility. Survivors and the public need and want transparency, courageous
action, and a little kindness.

Parents of Sister Survivors Engage (POSSE)