Coach Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials “repeatedly concealed critical facts” relating to sexual abuse allegations against assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky more than a decade ago.
The internal report concluded 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.
Chief investigator Louis Freeh, a former FBI director, says the behavior was “callous and shocking.”
“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. “The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized.”
Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after being convicted last month of sexually abusing ten boys over 15 years. Karen Peetz, the chairwoman of Penn State’s board of trustees, says the board “accepts full responsibility for the failures that occurred,” but that no members of the board would step down. Ed will have reaction and analysis tonight at 8pET on The Ed Show on msnbc with New York Times columnist Bill Rhoden.
Steve Frank Recommended
