Former AD Baker: Penalties for MSU ‘cultural problem’ could be very high

(Photo: Dale G. Young / Detroit News)A former Michigan State athletic director says the school has violated Title IX law and NCAA rules, which could bring historic penalties, including a possible loss of federal funding, because of serial abuse of women by convicted doctor Larry Nassar.

Merrily Dean Baker, MSU athletic director from 1992-95, said a failure to properly report Nassar’s violations of young women athletes and girls, which occurred under the pretense of medical treatments, was part of a deeply entrenched “cultural problem” at MSU that could bring devastating punishment from federal officials as well as the NCAA.

“This is a moment of soul-searching for anyone who has any…