![]() ![]() ![]() The findings could have consequences for the criminal case against Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and retired senior vice president Gary Schultz, who are awaiting trial on charges of failing to report abuse and lying to a grand jury. The far more realistic conclusion is that many people didn't fully understand what was happening and underestimated or misinterpreted events," the family said. "The idea that any sane, responsible adult would knowingly cover up for a child predator is impossible to accept. In a statement, Paterno's family strongly denied he protected Sandusky for fear of bad publicity. The revered coach who emphasized integrity both on and off the field and ran what was considered one of the cleanest programs in sports died of lung cancer in January at age 85, months after he was summarily fired by the trustees.įreeh said that while he regretted the damage the findings would do to Paterno's "terrific legacy," the coach "was an integral part of this active decision to conceal," and his firing was justified.Īsked whether the actions of the four officials amounted to a crime such as conspiracy or obstruction, Freeh said that would be a matter for a grand jury to decide. The findings of the $6.5 million, eight-month investigation into one of the biggest scandals in the history of college sports could further stain Paterno's reputation. "The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized." "Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and welfare of Sandusky's child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," Freeh said at a news conference in Philadelphia upon the release of the 267-page report. ![]() He called the officials' behavior "callous and shocking." The alleged cover-up by Paterno, then-university President Graham Spanier and two other Penn State administrators allowed Sandusky to prey on other boys for years, said the report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who was hired by the university's trustees to investigate. "There's going to be a time and a place to do that, and I don't think that's right now yet," trustees chairman Keith Masser said last week.PHILADELPHIA (AP) ?Û" Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials buried child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago to avoid bad publicity, according to a scathing report Thursday that exposed a powerful "culture of reverence" for the football program and portrayed the Hall of Fame coach as more deeply involved in the scandal than previously thought. When asked last week, a couple trustees cited ongoing legal issues related to the scandal. The trustees have maintained over the past year that they intend to honor Paterno at some point. They have said they expect to release a response to Freeh's report in the near future. Paterno's family has vehemently denied Freeh's conclusions and has maintained the coach would not take part in a cover-up. College sports' governing body also vacated 111 wins under Paterno, erasing what had been his major college record of 409 career victories. The NCAA took unprecedented action two weeks later in levying strict sanctions including a four-year bowl ban, strict scholarship cuts and a $60 million fine on the university. In July, Freeh accused Paterno and three former school administrators of concealing allegations against Sandusky to protect the school's image. Sandusky was convicted in June on dozens of criminal counts, crimes that authorities said occurred on and off campus. The trustees had said Paterno was ousted in part because he had a moral obligation to pass on to police outside the university a 2002 allegation of sexual assault by Sandusky that was relayed to Paterno by a graduate assistant. The man who built Penn State's program into one of college football's marquee brands was fired in November 2011, days after Sandusky's arrest on molestation and other charges. He was one at least one of at least four dozen audience members who applauded or praised speakers who paid tribute to Paterno at the meeting. "The university should lead the way and not sit in silence," said Ed Stine, 62, of Gaithersburg, Md., a member of the alumni watchdog group Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship. Others say the school hasn't done enough to honor a 46-year career in which Paterno was known for focusing on academics and philanthropy as well as football.
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