LANSING, Mich. — Opening statements for William Strampel's trial began around 9 a.m. Thursday morning.
After a 15-minute recess, prosecutors called Leah Jackson to the witness stand.
Jackson visited Strampel twice during her time at MSU. The first time she visited him was because she did not receive a passing grade on a practice preliminary board exam called the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Self-Assessment Examination.
She told the court she had not had any interaction with Strampel before her first visit.
She said that the former dean immediately denied her appeal regarding the practice exam, but that the meeting continued to go on for about an hour.
During that meeting, Jackson stated that he was talking about whatever he wanted such as how he had "buddies" who had relations with younger women, apparently saying that "all a 26-year-old has to do is put out for 20 minutes."
"I was scared," Jackson said. "There wasn't anyone else with me."
She also told the court that Strampel talked about nude photographs and she thought he was asking for a picture.
During that meeting, Jackson said that Strampel told her he'd seen people dancing on the tables at Harper's, a bar on MSU's campus.
Jackson said he told her "I bet you've danced on those tables before."
After she left the meeting with Strampel, Jackson said she didn't think she would be able to take the test again delaying entry into her third year at medical school by six months.
Jackson told the court she wasn't herself for a few months.
"It's hard to see your friends moving on," Jackson said.
Once Jackson had told her parents about the incident, she said that they knew something was off.
"They were very supportive," Jackson said. "I asked my father to come, felt kind of ridiculous, I'm 26 and have to ask my dad to come to a meeting."
Jackson said her father stayed out in the car in case she needed him, but said that she wanted to go into the meeting alone.
Strampel told her at that meeting that she wasn't smart enough to be a doctor and to work at a soup kitchen if she wanted to help people.
Jackson said she was then presented with a contract from Strampel stating she would leave the MSU College of Medicine if she failed her board exam.
"I didn't want everything to be over," Jackson said.
The next time she took the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination she said she passed.
"I don't even have a job yet so it's risky to go against the school," Jackson said. "I don't know what friends he has that can deny me."
After the meetings she had with Strampel, she said she went to her friend's houses and told them about what happened. She said she talked with them about reporting it, but wasn't sure because of his power.
In regards to the contract , Jackson said Strampel put her in the "do or die" position by drafting the contract up. However, Defense Attorney John Dakmak told her that the three times she failed the test beforehand is what put her in that position.
Dakmak then went on to say that Strampel didn't draft that contract, and that similar contracts have been drafted multiple times over the years.
Terry Jackson, Leah's father, was called to the stand after his daughter's testimony. He told the court that in regard to what she told him about her interaction with Strampel that "it was very disturbing and she was shaking and had tears in her eyes, I'd never seen her look like that before."
He told the court that he kept his phone in his hand in case she called while he was waiting for her at one of her meetings with Strampel.
Strampel is the former Dean of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University charged wit sexual assault and misconduct in office. He was also Larry Nassar's former boss.
The state originally charged Strampel with a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
However in April, the Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Joyce Draganchuk agreed with prosecutors and allowed them to add a count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct against Strampel.
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