Penn State sex abuse scandal
Encyclopedia
The Penn State sex abuse scandal refers to allegations that former Pennsylvania State University
football
assistant coach Jerry Sandusky
sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property. After an extensive grand jury
investigation, Sandusky was indicted on 40 counts of child molestation dating from 1994 to 2009, though the abuse may date as far back as the 1970s.
Per the findings of the investigation, several high-level school officials were charged with perjury
, suspended, or dismissed for allegedly covering up
the incidents or failing to notify authorities. In the wake of the scandal, head football coach Joe Paterno
was dismissed from his position and school president Graham Spanier
was forced to resign. Sandusky has denied the allegations.
team for 31 seasons from 1969 to 1999. For the last 23 of those years, he was the team's defensive coordinator. In 1977, Sandusky founded The Second Mile
, a charity formed to help troubled young boys, in State College, Pennsylvania
. In 1998, he was investigated for sexual abuse of a child by the University Police, State College Police, Centre County District Attorney, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and a "child protection agency," but no charges were filed. Sandusky was considered for spearheading a football program at Penn State Altoona in 1998-99, but the idea was scrapped and he retired in 1999. After his retirement as Penn State's defensive coordinator, he remained as a coach emeritus with an office in, and access to, Penn State's football facilities.
in Clinton County, Pennsylvania
, reported that the boy had been sexually abused by Sandusky. According to court papers, Sandusky had been having a relationship involving "inappropriate touching" with Victim 1 since 2005 or 2006, when the boy was 11 or 12. Sandusky had met the boy through the Second Mile program before retiring from the program in 2010. Sandusky was also volunteering as an assistant high school football coach at Central at the time of the alleged actions. The investigation included testimony from various individuals at Penn State and The Second Mile. Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly has said that during the grand jury investigation there was an "uncooperative atmosphere" from some of these officials.
In December 2010, assistant coach Mike McQueary
appeared before the grand jury
looking into the Victim 1 case. McQueary testified that, on March 1, 2002, at 9:30 p.m., he entered the locker room at the Lasch Football Building at Penn State and heard what he believed to be the sounds of sexual activity coming from the shower. He looked in the shower and "saw a naked boy, Victim 2, whose age he estimated to be ten years old, with his hands up against the wall, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky." The next day, McQueary reported the incident to Joe Paterno, who informed Athletic Director Tim Curley. Ultimately, the only action taken by Curley and Gary Schultz, Senior vice president for finance and business (who also oversaw the Penn State police department), was to order Sandusky not to bring any children from Second Mile to the football building — an action that was approved by school president Graham Spanier
. The identity of the boy remains unknown to the authorities.
In their testimony before the grand jury, Paterno, Curley, and Schultz rejected the version of the incident presented by Mike McQueary. Paterno testified that he was only told about Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature" to the victim. Curley and Schultz both denied having been told about alleged anal intercourse. Curley denied that McQueary reported anything of sexual nature whatsoever, and described the conduct as merely "horsing around". Graham Spanier likewise testified that he was only apprised of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky and a younger child "horsing around in the shower".
On November 14, 2011, Sandusky's lawyer claimed that he was able to track down Victim 2 and that, according to the child, the incident did not occur as described by McQueary.
Despite Penn State banning Sandusky from bringing boys onto the main campus in 2002, he was allowed to operate a summer camp through his Sandusky Associates company from 2002 to 2008 at Penn State's Behrend satellite campus
near Erie, where he had daily contact with boys from fourth grade to high school.
The Pennsylvania statewide investigating grand jury
identified a total of eight boys singled out for sexual advances or assaults
by Sandusky from 1994 through 2009, after six more victims were identified: Five alleged victims testified that they met Sandusky through The Second Mile; each also stated that they showered with him on the campus. According to the witnesses, the showers included physical contact ranging from hugs and wrestling to, in one case, Sandusky placing the boy's hand on his erect penis.
One child's mother reported the incident to Penn State police when he came home with his hair wet. After an investigation by Detective Ronald Shreffler, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar
chose not to prosecute. Shreffler testified before the Grand Jury that director of the campus police, Thomas Harmon, told him to drop the case. University police eavesdropped on conversations during which the mother confronted Sandusky about the incident. He admitted to showering with other boys and refused to discontinue the practice. District Attorney Gricar was not available to testify, as he had disappeared in 2005.
Victims also commonly reported that Sandusky would place his hand on their thighs or inside the waistband of their underpants. Two recounted oral sex with Sandusky, sometimes culminating in his ejaculation. Penn State janitor James Calhoun reportedly observed Sandusky giving oral sex to an unidentified boy in 2000, but Calhoun is in a nursing home suffering from dementia, he was deemed not competent to testify.
At least 20 of the incidents allegedly took place while Sandusky was still employed by Penn State.
, and other offenses.
Senior vice president Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley were found to be not credible by the grand jury. The two administrators were charged with grand jury perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky. The indictment accused Curley and Schultz of not only failing to tell the police, but falsely telling the grand jury that Mike McQueary never informed them of sexual activity.
Sandusky is currently free on $100,000 bail pending trial. He could face life in prison if convicted of the charges. Curley and Schultz appeared in a Harrisburg
courtroom on November 7, where a judge set bail at $75,000 and required them to surrender their passports.
Penn State officially banned Sandusky from campus on November 6, 2011. Later that day, Tim Curley was placed on administrative leave, and Gary Schultz resigned to go back into retirement.
After the charges came to light, Spanier issued a statement in which he said Curley and Schultz had his unconditional support, and saying they "operate at the highest levels of honesty." Spanier was criticized for expressing support for Curley and Schultz, and failing to express any concern for Sandusky's alleged victims.
Congressman Pat Meehan
(R-PA04
) asked Education Secretary
Arne Duncan
to probe whether Penn State violated the Clery Act
when it failed to report Sandusky's alleged incidents of child molestation that took place on campus. Duncan announced an investigation into possible Clery Act violations at Penn State, saying that colleges and universities have "a legal and moral responsibility to protect children", and that Penn State's failure to report the alleged abuse would be a "tragedy". The investigation, which began on November 28, could result in fines or the loss of federal student aid if the university is found in violation.
Officials in San Antonio, Texas
also began investigating whether Sandusky molested one of the victims at the 1999 Alamo Bowl
.
Trustee Kenneth Frazier
announced on November 21 that Louis Freeh
, former director of the FBI
, would lead an internal investigation into the university's actions. Freeh annouced that the team assisting him in his investigation would include former FBI agents and federal prosecutors.
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, was the first to report on the grand jury investigation, in March 2011. The story did not receive much attention outside of the immediate area, and many readers at the time assailed the newspaper for impugning Sandusky's and Penn State's reputations.
Joe Paterno
was not accused of legal wrongdoing by the grand jury, since he fulfilled his obligation to report the incident to his immediate supervisor, Curley, and he also reported it to Gary Schultz, who oversaw the campus police at the time. However, he was harshly criticized for not reporting the incident to police, or at least seeing to it that it was reported. Several advocates for sexual abuse victims have called for charges to be brought against him for not contacting the police himself, despite the fact that he complied with the law by informing his superiors of the incident. After McQueary was identified as the graduate assistant who reported the 2002 incident, he was criticized for not intervening to protect the boy from Sandusky (an accusation McQueary has since disputed), as well as for not reporting the incident to police himself. On November 7, Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said that though some may have fulfilled their legal obligation to report suspected abuse, "somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child." Noonan added that anyone who knows about suspected abuse, "whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building," has "a moral responsibility to call us." Paterno said McQueary informed him that "he had witnessed an incident in the shower ... but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report."
Further, criticism and condemnation of Penn State leadership and Paterno himself, including calls for his dismissal, followed reports of these arrests for their role in "protecting Penn State’s brand instead of a child", and allowing Sandusky to retain emeritus status and unfettered access to the university's football program and facilities, despite knowledge of the allegations of sexual abuse. In an interview with New York City
radio station WFAN
, sports reporter Kim Jones, a Penn State alumna, stated that, "I can't believe [Paterno's] heart is that black, where he simply never thought about [Sandusky's 2002 incident] again and never thought about those poor kids who were looking for a male mentor, a strong man in their life." Former sports commentator Keith Olbermann
called for Paterno to be immediately fired, saying that "he failed all of the kids—the kid kids and the player kids—he purported to be protecting."
On November 8, 2011, The Patriot-News
of Harrisburg published a rare full-page, front-page editorial calling for the immediate resignation of Penn State President Graham Spanier
; it also called for this to be Joe Paterno's last season. The same day, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
called for the resignations of both Joe Paterno and his assistant coach Mike McQueary.
Sandusky gave his first interview since being arrested on November 14. In a phone interview with NBC
's Bob Costas
on Rock Center with Brian Williams
, Sandusky denied the allegations, though he admitted showering with teenage boys and inadvertently touching them "without intent of sexual contact." The interview received substantial coverage in the media, particularly regarding the manner in which Sandusky answered Costas when asked if he is sexually attracted to young boys:
In the days following the interview, several potential victims contacted State College lawyer Andy Shubin to tell their stories, with one claiming Sandusky had abused him in the 1970s; as many as eight victims may be in contact with attorneys, according to Sports Illustrated.
removed his name from the championship trophy for its conference championship game
, renaming it the Stagg Championship Trophy. The inaugural game was scheduled for December 2011, and the trophy was originally named the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy after Paterno and Amos Alonzo Stagg
, a college football pioneer. In anticipation of further fallout, Penn State's Aa1 revenue-bond rating was "placed on review for possible downgrade" by Moody's Investors Service because of the scandal's possible effects on the university's finances.
Jack Raykovitz, the longtime president and CEO of The Second Mile, announced his resignation on November 14. In addition, the United States Congressional program Angels in Adoption, subsequently rescinded its earlier 2002 award to Sandusky for his work with The Second Mile "in light of the serious allegations against him, and to preserve the integrity of the Angels in Adoption program."
Victim One has withdrawn from Central Mountain High School due to bullying, and the boy's mother has stated that the high school did not do enough to prevent the fallout.
page, "Fire Graham Spanier", to call on Penn State's Board of Trustees to fire Spanier. An online petition at change.org
calling for Spanier's ouster garnered over 1,700 signatures in four days.
After the termination of Paterno was announced on live television, students and non-students rioted near the Penn State campus. Sources estimate that thousands of students and others gathered to support Paterno, with some tipping over a WTAJ
news truck. Police used tear gas in response. No major injuries were reported. Approximately $20,000 in damages resulted from the riot, with police criticizing the timing of the announcement at 10 P.M. in the evening as exarcebating the situation.
On November 10, a group of Penn State alumni set up and announced ProudPSUforRAINN, a fundraiser for the anti-sexual violence network RAINN with a goal of $500,000, saying
As of 2:00 p.m. the next day, they had raised over $113,000 and as of 3:00 p.m. the following Sunday, over $320,000. Students also planned a candlelight vigil
on the lawn of Old Main with over 10,000 planning on attending. Former NFL player and Penn State alum, sports broadcaster LaVar Arrington
spoke at the event which attracted an estimated ten thousand.
Before the start of the season's final home game, a November 12 game against Nebraska
, the players and coaches from both teams knelt at midfield for a group prayer led by Nebraska's assistant coach Ron Brown.
reported that Penn State was planning Paterno's exit at the close of the college football season. Based on interviews with two individuals briefed on conversations among top university officials, the Times reported: "The Board of Trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Mr. Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that (he) will not coach another season."
The following day, the Associated Press reported that Paterno had decided to retire at the end of the 2011 football season, saying that he didn't want to be a distraction. In a statement announcing his retirement, Paterno said, "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."
On the afternoon of November 9, The Express-Times
of Easton, Pennsylvania
, reported that the board had given Spanier an ultimatum—resign before that night's meeting or be fired. At that night's meeting, Spanier, facing almost certain termination, resigned; provost Rodney Erickson
was named interim president. At the same meeting, the board turned down Paterno's offer to resign, instead voting to fire him immediately; defensive coordinator Tom Bradley
was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.
An attorney retained by the families of some of the boys who were allegedly abused by Sandusky has criticized the decision by the board to fire Paterno, saying, "The school let the victims down once, and I think they owed it to the victims to at least gauge how the immediate termination decision would impact them as opposed to Mr. Paterno's resignation at the end of the year."
However, one of the trustees told The Morning Call
of Allentown
that he and his colleagues had no choice but to fire Paterno in order to contain the growing outrage over the scandal. According to the trustee, the board considered letting Paterno stay on for the rest of the year with Bradley as team spokesman, but ultimately decided it would still keep the focus on Paterno. The board also didn't like that Paterno released statements on his own rather than through the school, with some feeling he may have breached his contract. The anonymous trustee said that he and many of his colleagues felt Paterno either "knew about [the abuse] and swept it under the rug, or he didn't ask enough questions." As for Spanier, the board was very angered by Spanier's statements of support for Curley and Schultz.
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
football
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
assistant coach Jerry Sandusky
Jerry Sandusky
Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky is a retired American football coach. Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career, mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Paterno, and was one of the most notable major college football coaches never to have held a head coaching position. ...
sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property. After an extensive grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
investigation, Sandusky was indicted on 40 counts of child molestation dating from 1994 to 2009, though the abuse may date as far back as the 1970s.
Per the findings of the investigation, several high-level school officials were charged with perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
, suspended, or dismissed for allegedly covering up
Cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
the incidents or failing to notify authorities. In the wake of the scandal, head football coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
was dismissed from his position and school president Graham Spanier
Graham Spanier
Graham B. Spanier is an American academic, who served as the 16th president of the Pennsylvania State University from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal...
was forced to resign. Sandusky has denied the allegations.
Background
Sandusky was an assistant coach under head coach Joe Paterno for the Penn State footballPenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
team for 31 seasons from 1969 to 1999. For the last 23 of those years, he was the team's defensive coordinator. In 1977, Sandusky founded The Second Mile
The Second Mile
The Second Mile is a nonprofit organization for underprivileged youth, providing help for at-risk children and support for their parents in Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant college football coach. The charity said its youth programs serve as...
, a charity formed to help troubled young boys, in State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
. In 1998, he was investigated for sexual abuse of a child by the University Police, State College Police, Centre County District Attorney, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and a "child protection agency," but no charges were filed. Sandusky was considered for spearheading a football program at Penn State Altoona in 1998-99, but the idea was scrapped and he retired in 1999. After his retirement as Penn State's defensive coordinator, he remained as a coach emeritus with an office in, and access to, Penn State's football facilities.
Grand jury investigation
The investigation was initiated in the spring of 2008, after the mother of a boy (identified in court papers as "Victim 1"), then a freshman at Central Mountain High SchoolCentral Mountain High School
Central Mountain High School is a public high school located in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, USA.-School history:Central Mountain High School is one of two high schools in the Keystone Central School District. Keystone Central is the geographically largest school district in Pennsylvania. Central...
in Clinton County, Pennsylvania
Clinton County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
, reported that the boy had been sexually abused by Sandusky. According to court papers, Sandusky had been having a relationship involving "inappropriate touching" with Victim 1 since 2005 or 2006, when the boy was 11 or 12. Sandusky had met the boy through the Second Mile program before retiring from the program in 2010. Sandusky was also volunteering as an assistant high school football coach at Central at the time of the alleged actions. The investigation included testimony from various individuals at Penn State and The Second Mile. Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly has said that during the grand jury investigation there was an "uncooperative atmosphere" from some of these officials.
In December 2010, assistant coach Mike McQueary
Mike McQueary
Mike McQueary is an assistant football coach at Pennsylvania State University . McQueary was a record setting former quarterback for Penn State. He led the team for two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and set several records that still stand...
appeared before the grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
looking into the Victim 1 case. McQueary testified that, on March 1, 2002, at 9:30 p.m., he entered the locker room at the Lasch Football Building at Penn State and heard what he believed to be the sounds of sexual activity coming from the shower. He looked in the shower and "saw a naked boy, Victim 2, whose age he estimated to be ten years old, with his hands up against the wall, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky." The next day, McQueary reported the incident to Joe Paterno, who informed Athletic Director Tim Curley. Ultimately, the only action taken by Curley and Gary Schultz, Senior vice president for finance and business (who also oversaw the Penn State police department), was to order Sandusky not to bring any children from Second Mile to the football building — an action that was approved by school president Graham Spanier
Graham Spanier
Graham B. Spanier is an American academic, who served as the 16th president of the Pennsylvania State University from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal...
. The identity of the boy remains unknown to the authorities.
In their testimony before the grand jury, Paterno, Curley, and Schultz rejected the version of the incident presented by Mike McQueary. Paterno testified that he was only told about Sandusky "fondling or doing something of a sexual nature" to the victim. Curley and Schultz both denied having been told about alleged anal intercourse. Curley denied that McQueary reported anything of sexual nature whatsoever, and described the conduct as merely "horsing around". Graham Spanier likewise testified that he was only apprised of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky and a younger child "horsing around in the shower".
On November 14, 2011, Sandusky's lawyer claimed that he was able to track down Victim 2 and that, according to the child, the incident did not occur as described by McQueary.
Despite Penn State banning Sandusky from bringing boys onto the main campus in 2002, he was allowed to operate a summer camp through his Sandusky Associates company from 2002 to 2008 at Penn State's Behrend satellite campus
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College is a state-related public university institution and a Commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Erie, Pennsylvania....
near Erie, where he had daily contact with boys from fourth grade to high school.
The Pennsylvania statewide investigating grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
identified a total of eight boys singled out for sexual advances or assaults
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
by Sandusky from 1994 through 2009, after six more victims were identified: Five alleged victims testified that they met Sandusky through The Second Mile; each also stated that they showered with him on the campus. According to the witnesses, the showers included physical contact ranging from hugs and wrestling to, in one case, Sandusky placing the boy's hand on his erect penis.
One child's mother reported the incident to Penn State police when he came home with his hair wet. After an investigation by Detective Ronald Shreffler, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar
Ray Gricar
Ray Frank Gricar was an American attorney who served as the district attorney of Centre County, Pennsylvania, from 1985–2005. On April 15, 2005, Gricar went missing under mysterious circumstances and has not been heard from since....
chose not to prosecute. Shreffler testified before the Grand Jury that director of the campus police, Thomas Harmon, told him to drop the case. University police eavesdropped on conversations during which the mother confronted Sandusky about the incident. He admitted to showering with other boys and refused to discontinue the practice. District Attorney Gricar was not available to testify, as he had disappeared in 2005.
Victims also commonly reported that Sandusky would place his hand on their thighs or inside the waistband of their underpants. Two recounted oral sex with Sandusky, sometimes culminating in his ejaculation. Penn State janitor James Calhoun reportedly observed Sandusky giving oral sex to an unidentified boy in 2000, but Calhoun is in a nursing home suffering from dementia, he was deemed not competent to testify.
At least 20 of the incidents allegedly took place while Sandusky was still employed by Penn State.
Criminal charges and further investigation
On November 4, 2011, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys, following a three-year investigation. Sandusky was arrested on November 5 and charged with seven counts of involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, as well as eight counts of corruption of minors, eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, seven counts of indecent assaultIndecent assault
Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
, and other offenses.
Senior vice president Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley were found to be not credible by the grand jury. The two administrators were charged with grand jury perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky. The indictment accused Curley and Schultz of not only failing to tell the police, but falsely telling the grand jury that Mike McQueary never informed them of sexual activity.
Sandusky is currently free on $100,000 bail pending trial. He could face life in prison if convicted of the charges. Curley and Schultz appeared in a Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
courtroom on November 7, where a judge set bail at $75,000 and required them to surrender their passports.
Penn State officially banned Sandusky from campus on November 6, 2011. Later that day, Tim Curley was placed on administrative leave, and Gary Schultz resigned to go back into retirement.
After the charges came to light, Spanier issued a statement in which he said Curley and Schultz had his unconditional support, and saying they "operate at the highest levels of honesty." Spanier was criticized for expressing support for Curley and Schultz, and failing to express any concern for Sandusky's alleged victims.
Congressman Pat Meehan
Pat Meehan
Patrick Leo "Pat" Meehan is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since January 3, 2011. The district includes most of Delaware County and parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties...
(R-PA04
Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district
Pennsylvania's fourth district is located in western Pennsylvania and includes suburbs of Pittsburgh as well as Beaver County, Lawrence County, and Mercer County....
) asked Education Secretary
United States Secretary of Education
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
to probe whether Penn State violated the Clery Act
Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act or Clery Act is a federal statute codified at , with implementing regulations in the U.S...
when it failed to report Sandusky's alleged incidents of child molestation that took place on campus. Duncan announced an investigation into possible Clery Act violations at Penn State, saying that colleges and universities have "a legal and moral responsibility to protect children", and that Penn State's failure to report the alleged abuse would be a "tragedy". The investigation, which began on November 28, could result in fines or the loss of federal student aid if the university is found in violation.
Officials in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
also began investigating whether Sandusky molested one of the victims at the 1999 Alamo Bowl
1999 Alamo Bowl
The 1999 edition to the Alamo Bowl featured the Penn State Nittany Lions, and the Texas A&M Aggies.Derrick Fox started the scoring for Penn State, with a 34 yard interception return for a touchdown, putting Penn State on top, 7–0...
.
Trustee Kenneth Frazier
Kenneth Frazier
Kenneth Carleton Frazier is the President and CEO of Merck & Co., and is the first African American to serve as the CEO of a pharmaceutical company.Frazier, who joined Merck in 1992, became general counsel of the company in 2006...
announced on November 21 that Louis Freeh
Louis Freeh
Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
, former director of the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, would lead an internal investigation into the university's actions. Freeh annouced that the team assisting him in his investigation would include former FBI agents and federal prosecutors.
Media reaction
The Patriot-NewsThe Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, was the first to report on the grand jury investigation, in March 2011. The story did not receive much attention outside of the immediate area, and many readers at the time assailed the newspaper for impugning Sandusky's and Penn State's reputations.
Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
was not accused of legal wrongdoing by the grand jury, since he fulfilled his obligation to report the incident to his immediate supervisor, Curley, and he also reported it to Gary Schultz, who oversaw the campus police at the time. However, he was harshly criticized for not reporting the incident to police, or at least seeing to it that it was reported. Several advocates for sexual abuse victims have called for charges to be brought against him for not contacting the police himself, despite the fact that he complied with the law by informing his superiors of the incident. After McQueary was identified as the graduate assistant who reported the 2002 incident, he was criticized for not intervening to protect the boy from Sandusky (an accusation McQueary has since disputed), as well as for not reporting the incident to police himself. On November 7, Pennsylvania state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said that though some may have fulfilled their legal obligation to report suspected abuse, "somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child." Noonan added that anyone who knows about suspected abuse, "whether you're a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building," has "a moral responsibility to call us." Paterno said McQueary informed him that "he had witnessed an incident in the shower ... but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report."
Further, criticism and condemnation of Penn State leadership and Paterno himself, including calls for his dismissal, followed reports of these arrests for their role in "protecting Penn State’s brand instead of a child", and allowing Sandusky to retain emeritus status and unfettered access to the university's football program and facilities, despite knowledge of the allegations of sexual abuse. In an interview with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
radio station WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
, sports reporter Kim Jones, a Penn State alumna, stated that, "I can't believe [Paterno's] heart is that black, where he simply never thought about [Sandusky's 2002 incident] again and never thought about those poor kids who were looking for a male mentor, a strong man in their life." Former sports commentator Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
called for Paterno to be immediately fired, saying that "he failed all of the kids—the kid kids and the player kids—he purported to be protecting."
On November 8, 2011, The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News
The Patriot-News is the largest daily newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily/Sunday circulation in the United States...
of Harrisburg published a rare full-page, front-page editorial calling for the immediate resignation of Penn State President Graham Spanier
Graham Spanier
Graham B. Spanier is an American academic, who served as the 16th president of the Pennsylvania State University from September 1, 1995, until he was forced to resign on November 9, 2011, in the aftermath of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal...
; it also called for this to be Joe Paterno's last season. The same day, an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
called for the resignations of both Joe Paterno and his assistant coach Mike McQueary.
Sandusky gave his first interview since being arrested on November 14. In a phone interview with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
on Rock Center with Brian Williams
Rock Center with Brian Williams
Rock Center with Brian Williams is an American weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC, and hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams...
, Sandusky denied the allegations, though he admitted showering with teenage boys and inadvertently touching them "without intent of sexual contact." The interview received substantial coverage in the media, particularly regarding the manner in which Sandusky answered Costas when asked if he is sexually attracted to young boys:
In the days following the interview, several potential victims contacted State College lawyer Andy Shubin to tell their stories, with one claiming Sandusky had abused him in the 1970s; as many as eight victims may be in contact with attorneys, according to Sports Illustrated.
Response
The allegations have impacted personnel and operations for both Penn State and The Second Mile. Penn State has responded in various ways, such as removing Sandusky's image from a mural near the college, and renaming an ice cream flavor which had been created in his honor. The university has also responded by ousting both Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, as well as placing Mike McQueary on indefinite paid administrative leave. During the week after Paterno's firing, the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
removed his name from the championship trophy for its conference championship game
Big Ten Football Championship Game
The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game that will be held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The inaugural game will be held on December 3, 2011. The games during the next two seasons will be held on December 1, 2012 and...
, renaming it the Stagg Championship Trophy. The inaugural game was scheduled for December 2011, and the trophy was originally named the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy after Paterno and Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
, a college football pioneer. In anticipation of further fallout, Penn State's Aa1 revenue-bond rating was "placed on review for possible downgrade" by Moody's Investors Service because of the scandal's possible effects on the university's finances.
Jack Raykovitz, the longtime president and CEO of The Second Mile, announced his resignation on November 14. In addition, the United States Congressional program Angels in Adoption, subsequently rescinded its earlier 2002 award to Sandusky for his work with The Second Mile "in light of the serious allegations against him, and to preserve the integrity of the Angels in Adoption program."
Victim One has withdrawn from Central Mountain High School due to bullying, and the boy's mother has stated that the high school did not do enough to prevent the fallout.
Student response
A few Penn State students, angered over Spanier's role in the 2002 incident as well as his statement of support for Curley and Schultz, created a FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, "Fire Graham Spanier", to call on Penn State's Board of Trustees to fire Spanier. An online petition at change.org
Change.org
Change.org is an online platform for social change launched on February 7, 2007 by current CEO Ben Rattray and Mark Dimas, and certified as a B Corporation in January, 2011. Its stated mission is to "empower anyone, anywhere to start, join, and win campaigns for social change."...
calling for Spanier's ouster garnered over 1,700 signatures in four days.
After the termination of Paterno was announced on live television, students and non-students rioted near the Penn State campus. Sources estimate that thousands of students and others gathered to support Paterno, with some tipping over a WTAJ
WTAJ-TV
WTAJ-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Allegheny area of Pennsylvania that is licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32. It is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group...
news truck. Police used tear gas in response. No major injuries were reported. Approximately $20,000 in damages resulted from the riot, with police criticizing the timing of the announcement at 10 P.M. in the evening as exarcebating the situation.
On November 10, a group of Penn State alumni set up and announced ProudPSUforRAINN, a fundraiser for the anti-sexual violence network RAINN with a goal of $500,000, saying
After having so closely identified with all things Penn State over the past 15 years, the recent events have shaken our beliefs – and those of other alumni – to the core. Simply put, Penn State is way bigger than the alleged actions of a few people. To honor the victims, our goal is to raise over $500,000 – one dollar for each of Penn State’s 557,000 alumni.
As of 2:00 p.m. the next day, they had raised over $113,000 and as of 3:00 p.m. the following Sunday, over $320,000. Students also planned a candlelight vigil
Candlelight vigil
A candlelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying candles, held after sunset. Such events are typically held either to protest the suffering of some marginalized group of people, or in memory of lives lost to some disease, disaster, massacre or other tragedy. In the latter case, the...
on the lawn of Old Main with over 10,000 planning on attending. Former NFL player and Penn State alum, sports broadcaster LaVar Arrington
LaVar Arrington
LaVar RaShad Arrington is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted second overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State for coach Joe Paterno.A two-time All-American at Penn State, Arrington played...
spoke at the event which attracted an estimated ten thousand.
Before the start of the season's final home game, a November 12 game against Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, the players and coaches from both teams knelt at midfield for a group prayer led by Nebraska's assistant coach Ron Brown.
Ouster of Spanier and Paterno
On November 8, 2011, Spanier canceled Paterno's weekly Tuesday news conference, citing legal concerns. It was to have been the coach's first public appearance since Sandusky's arrest. Paterno reported that Spanier canceled the press conference without providing Paterno with an explanation. That same day, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that Penn State was planning Paterno's exit at the close of the college football season. Based on interviews with two individuals briefed on conversations among top university officials, the Times reported: "The Board of Trustees has yet to determine the precise timing of Mr. Paterno’s exit, but it is clear that (he) will not coach another season."
The following day, the Associated Press reported that Paterno had decided to retire at the end of the 2011 football season, saying that he didn't want to be a distraction. In a statement announcing his retirement, Paterno said, "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."
On the afternoon of November 9, The Express-Times
The Express-Times
The Express-Times is a daily newspaper published in Easton, Pennsylvania, with an emphasis on local news. It has won awards in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.-Ownership:...
of Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, reported that the board had given Spanier an ultimatum—resign before that night's meeting or be fired. At that night's meeting, Spanier, facing almost certain termination, resigned; provost Rodney Erickson
Rodney Erickson
Rodney A. Erickson, Ph.D. is the president of Pennsylvania State University. Formerly executive vice president and provost , he was named interim president of Penn State on November 9, 2011 after previous president Graham Spanier was forced to resign in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal...
was named interim president. At the same meeting, the board turned down Paterno's offer to resign, instead voting to fire him immediately; defensive coordinator Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (American football)
-External links:*...
was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.
An attorney retained by the families of some of the boys who were allegedly abused by Sandusky has criticized the decision by the board to fire Paterno, saying, "The school let the victims down once, and I think they owed it to the victims to at least gauge how the immediate termination decision would impact them as opposed to Mr. Paterno's resignation at the end of the year."
However, one of the trustees told The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
that he and his colleagues had no choice but to fire Paterno in order to contain the growing outrage over the scandal. According to the trustee, the board considered letting Paterno stay on for the rest of the year with Bradley as team spokesman, but ultimately decided it would still keep the focus on Paterno. The board also didn't like that Paterno released statements on his own rather than through the school, with some feeling he may have breached his contract. The anonymous trustee said that he and many of his colleagues felt Paterno either "knew about [the abuse] and swept it under the rug, or he didn't ask enough questions." As for Spanier, the board was very angered by Spanier's statements of support for Curley and Schultz.