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Penn State trustees panel sets news conference Monday

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Former Penn State University football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky (C) is led away by police after being arrested in a sex crimes investigation, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in this November 5, 2011 handout photograph released on November 10. REUTERS/Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office/Handout

Former Penn State University football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky (C) is led away by police after being arrested in a sex crimes investigation, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in this November 5, 2011 handout photograph released on November 10.

Credit: Reuters/Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office/Handout

Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:47am EST

(Reuters) - A special committee formed by Penn State trustees to investigate the university's actions after reports of child sex abuse by a former football coach said it will hold a news conference Monday in connection with its investigation.

The special committee was announced days after the November 5 announcement that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was accused by a grand jury of sexually abusing eight young boys over 15 years. Sandusky faces 40 charges.

The trustees fired legendary football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier within days of announcing the special committee. The school's athletic director and another official, both charged with perjury by the grand jury, have also stepped down over the scandal.

Sandusky, 67, retired as a Penn State football coach in 1999 but continued to have access to the university's facilities as recently as a few weeks ago.

Investigations of the allegations which have shaken the college football world and state of Pennsylvania are continuing by prosecutors, the university, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sandusky is alleged to have met many of the boys through The Second Mile, a charity he started in 1977, which is also carrying out an investigation of the charges.

Trustees named Ken Frazier, president and CEO of Merck, to chair the special committee that was appointed to investigate "the circumstances that gave rise to the grand jury report."

The special committee is expected to be made up of a majority of university trustees, plus faculty, students and alumni.

(Reporting by David Bailey. Editing by Peter Bohan)
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Comments (4)
PamSpirit wrote:
Well, any relevant information that would shed light on the entire situation, is gone by now; so good luck. Here’s a more realistic plan of action: Let’s drop the football program at Penn State (for a while, at least), and instead, use the facilities and budget to create the nation’s first Research and Recovery Institute. Bring together psychologists, social workers, educators, policy makers, advocates, health professionals, and recovery specialists (professors and dr.s), and people who have been abused as youngsters, and find methods for healing, for recognizing and fighting this problem, and for strengthening policy. Plenty of building and dorms to house all. Football can return at a later time.

Nov 20, 2011 9:58pm EST  --  Report as abuse
TimBerton wrote:
The Special Committee should point out that the blame for Sandusky’s abuse from 1998 onward belongs largely to the Centre County District Attorney, who refused to prosecute Sandusky in 1998.

Sandusky even confessed to inappropriately hugging and touching boys in the campus showers in 1998.

Four of the 2011 charges against Sandusky stem from his 1998 fondling of one boy (alleged victim 6) in the campus showers.

A similar incident also investigated in 1998 with another boy apparently did not result in charges yet because the alleged victim is out of the country and could not testify before the Grand Jury.

Also negligent in 1998 were the University Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. They investigated, but not too well, or they would have discovered more victims.

Nov 21, 2011 2:24am EST  --  Report as abuse
mash6268 wrote:
Thanks Pam Spirit for placing yourself as the sole representative to determine legal proceedings. It’s very interesting to read articles and comments about matters where some have rushed to judgement without due process.

Nov 21, 2011 9:06am EST  --  Report as abuse
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