Freeh Report Available Online At 9 A.M. ET

The Jerry Sandusky scandal has been resolved in one respect, as Sandusky himself was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual assault, but the scandal isn't over for Penn State University. The school has been under investigation by former FBI director and U.S. District Court judge Louis Freeh, who was hired to internally investigate the matter.

The Freeh report will release all the findings of the investigation, including potential violations by the university of the Clery Act, which require that all crimes committed on campus be reported to the police. Recently, CNN released some leaked e-mails that seemed to indicate Penn State higher ups were involved in a cover up of Sandusky's behavior.

When: 9 a.m. Eastern, Thursday, July 12.

Where: The Freeh Report will be hosted at thefreehreportonpsu.com.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Will Answer To NCAA After Freeh Report

The Freeh Report detailing Penn State's involvement, or lack thereof, in the Jerry Sandusky scandal is scheduled to be released on Thursday. When the report is released, the university is going to have to answer to the NCAA about the findings by Louis Freeh, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The NCAA says Penn State will have to formally respond to questions from NCAA president Mark Emmert, even after Freeh unveils his findings.

The governing body says it won't interfere with other ongoing inquiries into the matter, and will determine if additional action is necessary. They offered no specific timeline.

There is speculation that the NCAA and/or the Big Ten could act on the findings and bring down punishment to Penn State University if they are have been found to have violated the Clery Act, which requires all schools to report crimes on campus.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary Not Part Of Freeh Inquiry, According To Report

Scout partner site FIght On State is reporting that former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary was not interviewed by The Freeh Investigative Group for their upcoming report on and for Penn State University in the wake of the Sandusky scandal. McQeaury figured prominently in the criminal trial of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexual molestation of several young boys, specifically as an eyewitness to an incident taking place in a shower at the Penn State football facilities in 2001.

With the results of the probe due to be released Thursday morning, FightOnState.com has learned that Mike McQueary — the former Nittany Lions assistant coach who served as a key prosecution witness in the criminal case in which Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of abuse — has not been interviewed by Freeh's investigators.

A source close to McQueary's family, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said McQueary made multiple offers to speak to the Freeh investigators but they did not follow up.

Speculation has varied as to the focus and impact of the inquiry being led by former F.B.I. Director Louis Freeh. First, concern arose that the inquiry was an attempted smear campaign against the legacy of Joe Paterno, while a Dan Wetzel report at Yahoo alleged the forthcoming report is a broad, wide-ranging inquiry going far beyond the football program and Paterno.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Paterno Family Releases Statement With Freeh Report To Be Released Thursday

On the heels of the expected release of the Freeh Report on Thursday, the family of the late Joe Paterno released a statement addressing a number of criticisms directed toward the former Penn State head football coach.

The independent investigation led by former FBI chief Louis Freeh into the university's response to the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse crimes is reportedly due to be released on Thursday at 9 a.m. EST.

Via StateCollege.com, the statement reads as follows:

Over the last nine months Joe Paterno has been praised by some in near saintly terms and criticized by others as a villain. He was neither.

As the people who worked closely with Joe know, he was tough, aggressive, opinionated and demanding. He was also highly principled, uncompromisingly ethical, dedicated to his job at Penn State and committed to excellence.

When the Sandusky case exploded last fall, Joe's first instincts were to tell everything he knew. He assumed the University would want to hear from him, but he was never given the chance to present his case.

He planned to hold a press conference, but University officials ordered him to cancel it. And then the various investigations started and the legal process took over. On top of everything else, Joe was diagnosed with lung cancer. Two months later he was gone. The end result is his story has never fully been told.

Click here for the statement in its entirety.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Freeh Probe Is Bigger Than Joe Paterno, According To Report

Yahoo's Dan Wetzel is reporting a contrary account that the upcoming Penn State sanctioned probe into the Jerry Sandusky scandal by former F.B.I. Director Louis Freeh will focus primarily on Joe Paterno and the Penn State football program. According to Wetzel's sources, the probe is focused on addressing Penn State as a whole:

... "everyone" is going to be under a harsh microscope, leaving multiple parties across the athletic department and university as a whole open to blame for a series of missteps and failures regarding the university's handling of allegations of sexual assault made against Sandusky...

The focus, compounded by leaked emails between university administrators to media outlets, has been on Paterno and his specific knowledge of the sexual assaults Sandusky has now been convicted of, as well as any actions he might have taken to prevent or alter potential police involvement, as well as when.

Wetzel's sources indicate that the report is far more wide-reaching and detailed, focusing on everything from university policies on sexual assault and crime for non-students to police procedures from Penn State law enforcement:

One university employee interviewed by investigators described the questioning as "annoyingly thorough," with little of it dealing specifically with Paterno or the football program.

For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Penn State Scandal: Graham Spanier Denies Being Told About Sandusky Abuse

As the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State reaches the former leaders of the university as well as the legacy of Joe Paterno, former Penn State University President Graham Spanier is denying ever being told about the sexual abuse committed by Sandusky.

Spanier's stance would counter various media leaks of emails from Penn State officials discussing Sandusky, specifically those obtained by CNN that paint a picture that Spanier, Paterno, now-retired Vice President Gary Schutlz and former A.D. Tim Curley conspired to not contact the authorities after allegations against Sandusky surfaced (statements from Spanier's attorney courtesy of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"Since November of last year, when he resigned his presidency, (Spanier) has wanted the Freeh Group to create an accurate report and has been determined to assist in any way he can," his attorney said.

"Selected leaks, without the full context, are distorting the public record and creating a false picture. At no time in the more than 16 years of his presidency at Penn State was Dr. Spanier told of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky that described child abuse, sexual misconduct or criminality of any kind, and he reiterated that during his interview with Louis Freeh and his colleagues," said Spanier’s Philadelphia-based attorney, Peter Vaira.

Spanier and his legal team met with the Freeh Investigative Group Friday to discuss the Sandusky incident as part of the Freeh Group's investigation for Penn State.

For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Penn State Scandal: Freeh Investigation To Be Released Thursday, According To Report

Independent investigator and former FBI Director Louis Freeh's investigation report on the handling of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal by Penn State is the arguably the last and most important piece in solving the mystery of the scandal. The results of his report will likely heavily impact the punishments and penalties against the university and higher ups within the program.

According to Ben Simmoneau of CBS 3 in Philadelphia reports that Freeh's investigation report will be released on Thursday.

#pennstate Freeh Report's scheduled release Thursday comes 1 day before a #PSU Trustees meeting on Friday in Scranton #Sandusky #cbsphilly

— Ben Simmoneau (@bensimmoneau) July 10, 2012

The impact on Joe Paterno's legacy will also be determined by the release of the report as Paterno's family has asked that all the emails and records from the long time Nittany Lions coach be released as they believe they will show him in a better light than snippets that appeared to show Paterno helping to hide the scandal.

For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire and SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Penn State Scandal: Officials Discussed Jerry Sandusky With Lawyers In 2001

The news keeps getting worse for Penn State. A July 1 report from the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals a 2001 consultation with lawyers to discuss a "report of suspected child abuse" involving Jerry Sandusky. The news ties into another recent report showing efforts to keep a lid on incidents.

From the Chronicle report:

Top Pennsylvania State University officials held a three-hour meeting to discuss Jerry Sandusky in 2001 over concerns about the former coach's behavior with a boy in the football showers. A law-firm billing record from that conversation describes a "report of suspected child abuse," according to a person with knowledge of an independent investigation into the matter.

On Friday, a CNN report revealed a series of emails from 2001 between the school's vice president Gary Schultz, athletic director Tim Curley, and president Graham Spanier discussing plans to keep a lid on the Sandusky abuse reports.

New revelations over the actions of Penn State administrators could lead to additional charges in the case. Curley and Schultz already face perjury charges for lying to a grand jury as well as charges for failure to report Sandusky to the proper child welfare agencies.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: University Could Receive Death Penalty, According To Report

According to legal experts speaking with The Patriot-News on Saturday afternoon, Penn State football might receive the death penalty, the most severe punishment that can be given out by the NCAA. The heightened discussion comes on the heels of Friday's CNN report, which uncovered an email indicating school officials agreed not to report allegations of child-sexual abuse against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky to authorities.

"Once you start hearing that the athletic department isn't responding to the chain of authority properly, that's an institutional control problem, and the NCAA is built around protecting that institutional control," University of Toledo sports law professor Geoffrey Rapp told the The Patriot-News. "The problem is if Paterno was able to tell the school what to do and the school doesn't have in place the right kind of hierarchy from the NCAA's perspective."

Only one Football Bowl Subdivision program, SMU, has ever received the death penalty. Though the NCAA would be within its right to impose such a harsh punishment to the Nittany Lions' program, it likely won't, according to Rapp.

Rapp said he thinks the university probably will avoid the death penalty as long as it cooperates with the NCAA in its investigation and volunteers to institute self-imposed penalties.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Dennis Dodd: Mark Emmert, NCAA Must Make Penn State 'Pay'

A CNN report released on Friday evening indicated Penn State officials maintained suspicions regarding former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky dating back to 2001, but they were never reported to an outside agency.

"After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe [Paterno] yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps," an email from former university president Graham Spanier to Tim Curley and Gary Schultz read. "I am having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved."

According to CBSSports.com columnist Dennis Dodd, Penn State "must pay" as a result.

Penn State must pay if for no other reason than this, the same key point Emmert has raised regarding misconduct since he took office 2½ years ago: When will risk outweigh reward? You may argue that a criminal and civil matter have nothing to do with the NCAA. You may argue the innocent would suffer with NCAA penalties. That's what I thought until now, when a satan sits in jail and lives lie in ruins.

Some things are more important than football, than whether a team can go to a bowl or not. Perhaps whether a team can play at all. Maybe the NCAA Manual does apply here. Maybe there's a lifetime lesson to be learned.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Scandal: CNN Releases Emails Among Penn State Authorities Discussing Plans To Handle Allegations

One week after Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts, CNN has released emails among various Penn State officials discussing how to handle the situation. CNN's AC360 program aired a report detailing the emails between Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, and Graham Spanier on how they would deal with the allegations. CNN posted a graphic of one email from Curley to Spanier (with Schultz copied) that references a discussion with "Joe" and a potential course of action:

"After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved."

The Twitter account for the AC360 program sent out a tweet that certain emails show suspicions about Sandusky in 2001:

Authorities say records show suspicions about #Sandusky in 2001 were never reported to any outside agency. #PSU

— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 30, 2012

We'll have more details of the emails between PSU officials as they become available.

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check outBlack Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Matt Sandusky: 'I Really Wanted To Die At That Point In Time'

In a tape that was obtained by NBC News, Jerry Sandusky's adopted son Matt said that there was a point in time that he attempted suicide while in a hotel with his girlfriend, according to an article by Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com. The tape was recorded a few days into Jerry Sandusky's child molestation trial. He does admit however, that he is not sure if he was suicidal because of the abuse that he recounted.

Matt, who was adopted by the Sandusky's when he was 18 years old, described his own interaction with the convicted Jerry Sandusky, which happens to mirror what a lot of the victims recounted during Jerry Sandusky's trial.

"It just was, just became very uncomfortable. You know, just with everything that was going on." When a police detective asks, "What was, what was going on?" Matt replied: "With like the showering, with the hugging, with the rubbing, with the just talking to me. The way he spoke. And just, the whole interaction with him alone. Anything, anytime we were alone just those interactions."

Matt Sandusky alleges that the abuse occured off and on before he was adopted, from ages eight to fifteen. Matt Sandusky finally came forward because he wanted a sense of closure.

"I came forward, I mean, for different reasons," he said. "But I mean for my family you know so that they can really have closure and see what the truth actually is. And just to right the wrong, honestly, of going to the grand jury and lying."

For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky: 'I Am Going To Go Nutty' In Isolation

As of right now, convicted pedophile Jerry Sandusky remains in isolation and on suicide watch at the Centre County jail, according to Sarah Ganim of The Patriot-News, pending a psychological evaluation.

He had his first visitor at the jail, attorney Karl Rominger. There he talked to Rominger and said that if he was kept in isolation much longer, he could go a little crazy.

"He's anxious to be able to move around," Rominger said. "His exact quote to me, 'I don't think I'm suicidal. I'm dealing with this, but if I have to sit around in this cell for a few more days, I am going to go nutty.' "

Rominger also said that when he gets to be with the general prison population, his cell block would be only with a handful of other inmates.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow thisStoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Bracing For Civil Suits Following Jerry Sandusky Verdict

Jerry Sandusky is off to prison following his conviction on 45 counts of child sexual abuse. The fallout continues for Penn State, where Sandusky served as an assistant football coach for years, as the school braces for a series of civil suits around the institution's role in the scandal. The prosecution may also pursue charges against school officials deemed culpable in allowing the former coach to perpetrate his actions.

Tom Kline, the attorney for Victim No. 5, is one party likely to file suit. Kline spoke to the StateCollege.com.

"I frankly am more interested in the first instance and what they did, how they enabled Mr. Sandusky and how they can improve themselves.

"This isn't about money. Mr. Amendola said it's about money. That was rejected. What this is about is young men who were violated, and so we now have to look to who was responsible. There's two sets of circumstances, the perpetrator and the enabler. We now have to turn our attention to Penn State."

Subpoenas were issued to a number of Penn State officials earlier this year, including president Rodney Erickson. Those individuals have yet to appear in front of a grand jury.

Former FBI director Louis Freeh led an independent investigation into the failings of the system at the school. A report detailing those findings along with recommendations to prevent further incidents is expected later in the summer.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Mike McQueary Catches Foul Ball At State College Spikes Game

Joe Amendola's Comments Could Help Jerry Sandusky On Appeal

Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse on Friday night. His attorney's bizarre behavior, both before the verdict was read and after the charges were handed down, may actually aid Sandusky on appeal. Via Michael Gartland of the New York Post:

Damaging comments by a lawyer for Jerry Sandusky could help the convicted Penn State child molester on appeal, veteran New York defense lawyers said yesterday.

"He had an ethical obligation to represent his client as zealously as possible," said Manhattan defense lawyer Lori Cohen. "It's hard to reconcile a zealous defense with his public comments."

The comments in question come from Sandusky's lead attorney Joe Amendola, who said on Friday before the verdict was read he would "die of a heart attack" if his client was acquitted by the jury, and then after the trial when Amendola and co-counsel Karl Rominger both claimed they needed more time and were ill-prepared for trail. If Sandusky were to fire Amendola, his new lawyer could use Amendola's words and ineffective performance against him in an appeal.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Attorney For Jerry Sandusky Claims Defense Needed More Time

Feeling ill-prepared at the onset of the trial, Jerry Sandusky's attorneys Karl Rominger and Joe Amendola tried to get out of th Sandusky case during the morning of jury selection, Rominger said on his WHP 580 radio show on Saturday.

That request, however, was denied. Per Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News, via PennLive.com:

[Judge John] Cleland had repeatedly denied requests for continuances and the trial approached. Sandusky's attorney said they only had a few months to try to get through all the evidence -- thousands of pages of documents -- prosecutors acquired over the three-year grand jury investigation.

Friday, after the guilty verdict on most counts was read, Amendola said he was, at times, "flying by the seat of his pants" during the trial because he wasn't ready.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Juror Says Jerry Sandusky 'Looked' Guilty

On Friday, former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts related to child sex abuse. Now, one of the 12 jurors in the trial is speaking out and says that he could tell that Sandusky was guilty just by the look on his face. StateCollege.com has more:

"I looked at him during the reading of the verdict, and the look on his face, no real emotion, just kind of accepting, you know, because he knew it was true," juror Joshua Harper told NBC.

Additionally, Sandusky could also be facing federal charges as well, according to The Christian Science Monitor:

Possible federal charges are looming against Sandusky. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe looking into some of the abuse allegations since they may have involved travel to other states.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Attorney Karl Rominger: 'I Won The Sodomy Charge On McQueary'

Jerry Sandusky’s attorneys continued their odd behavior Friday night following the conviction of their client in 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse. Joe Amendola joked strangely with a CNN correspondent, while Karl Rominger took to Twitter.

Well I won the sodomy charge on McQueary.. so perhaps if the grand jury presentment had been accurate Paterno would not have been fired #psu

Yeah, you “won.” Way to go, winner! Of course, you also “lost” on Victim 2 — that’s the victim McQueary testified about — on charges of indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangering welfare of children. In a Penn State football locker room. So, uh, let’s give Joe Paterno a medal? And Karl Rominger a gold star?

Rominger continued that line of thinking in an interview on CNN, transcribed by SB Nation newsdesker Brendan Porath:

Well, obviously I am a little disappointed. I will take a little solace in the fact that the witness I cross-examined, Mike McQueary, did not sustain the count of sodomy that the government had promised would cost Joe Paterno his job.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, stay tuned to this StoryStream.

Joe Paterno's Family Issues Statement On Jerry Sandusky Guilty Verdict

The trial of Jerry Sandusky came to an emphatic close on Friday night, as the jury returned a guilty verdict on 45 of 48 charges. Sandusky is almost certainly headed to jail for the rest of his life.

A number of the victims expressed relief after the guilty verdicts were handed down. The family of Sandusky's former boss, Joe Paterno, also issued a statement addressing the news of the verdict. Statement via Peter Hall of The Morning Call:

"Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today's verdict is an important milestone. The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families."

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Joe Amendola Conducts Bizarre Interview On CNN, Asks If He's Going On 'With Somebody Cute'

The bizarre behavior of Jerry Sandusky's lead defense attorney Joe Amendola continued Friday night. Amendola started the day Friday by saying he would "die of a heart attack" if his client was acquitted by the jury. The perplexing attorney continued his odd statements on Friday night while holding a press conference on the steps of the Centre County Courthouse after his client was convicted on 45 of 48 charges.

Amendola then continued his media appearances by joining CNN's Anderson Cooper after the press conferences from both sides. He walked up to CNN correspondent Jason Carroll and their camera setup, and made some questionable off-the-cuff comments as he was being hooked up for the interview. The CNN correspondent alerted him that he was going live, to which he responded:

"With who? Somebody cute?"

He then leaned into the microphone and in a gregarious manner, exclaimed:

"C'mon Anderson, he knows I love you."

One would presume that Mr. Amendola did not know he was live on the air, but after the series of statements he's made over the course of his representation of Jerry Sandusky, that's not a certainty. Whether he knew it was live or not, his exchange here is quite illustrative of his odd behavior. Video of his interview below, courtesy of @Jose3030:

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Video: Joe Amendola Explains How Matt Sandusky's Allegations Prevented Jerry Sandusky From Testifying

Below, you’ll find video of the press conference of Jerry Sandusky’s attorney Joe Amendola. Significantly, Amendola explains why he didn’t call Sandusky to the stand, despite initially saying he would. Amendola says he was told that Sandusky’s adopted son Matt Sandusky had made a statement to prosecutors saying that he had been abused.

The prosecution then told Amendola that it would not call Matt Sandusky as a witness in its main case against Jerry Sandusky. However, it made clear that it might call Matt Sandusky as a rebuttal witness. Amendola felt that if Jerry Sandusky testified, the result would be that the defense would be able to call Matt Sandusky to the stand. Amendola says Jerry maintained that he did not do anything inappropriate to Matt, but the defense still felt that his testimony would be very damaging. Jerry Sandusky still wanted to defend himself on the stand, Amendola says, but ultimately, he did not do so.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, continue following this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Verdict: Penn State Issues Statement

Penn State has released a statement in the wake of the conviction of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky in 45 of 48 counts of child sexual abuse.

Today Penn State learned that a verdict was reached in the case of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Gerald Sandusky. Mr. Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of the 48 charges filed against him.

The legal process has spoken and we have tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly. No verdict can undo the pain and suffering caused by Mr. Sandusky, but we do hope this judgment helps the victims and their families along their path to healing.

The Board of Trustees and current administration maintain a steadfast commitment to pursuing the truth regarding Mr. Sandusky’s actions. While we cannot change what happened, we can and do accept the responsibility to take action on the societal issue of child sexual abuse—both in our community and beyond. The University is committed to ensuring that our campuses are safe for children and to being a constructive participant in building greater awareness of child sexual abuse and the practical steps that can be undertaken to prevent, report and respond to such abuse.

The University has already established a confidential counseling process for victims of Mr. Sandusky’s conduct, and that process remains open. (For further information, please visit http://live.psu.edu/story/58590.) While counseling is critical, some victims have sought and continue to seek a direct dialogue with the University to discuss the University’s responsibility for Mr. Sandusky’s actions

Now that the jury has spoken, the University wants to continue that dialogue and do its part to help victims continue their path forward. To that end, the University plans to invite victims of Mr. Sandusky’s abuse to participate in a program to facilitate the resolution of claims against the University arising out of Mr. Sandusky’s conduct. The purpose of the program is simple – the University wants to provide a forum where the University can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims’ concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the University. Counsel to the University plan to reach out to counsel to the victims of Mr. Sandusky’s abuse in the near future with additional details.

Sandusky used Penn State facilities and the Penn State football program in general to lure many of his victims. Additionally, Penn State authorities allegedly received word of one of Sandusky’s abuses and did not report it to law enforcement. Sandusky has been convicted, but there will be more ugly times at Penn State ahead.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial and verdict, stay tuned to this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Joe Amendola Holds Press Conference, Explains Rationale For Not Calling Defendant

Jerry Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola held a press conference on the steps of the Centre County Courthouse shortly after the jury verdict convicting his client on 45 of the 48 counts with which he was charged. Amendola praised his counterparts who prosecuted Sandusky as "exemplary." He also praised Judge John Cleland for his handling of the courtroom throughout the trial, and the defense's only quibble seems to be with the judge's denial of their requests for a continuance. Sandusky's co-cousel Karl Rominger indicated on CNN that this may be the basis of an appeal -- a challenge that is unlikely to overturn the conviction.

Amendola spent a significant portion of his press conference addressing the decision to not call Sandusky to the stand to testify. He stated the he was prepared to call his client until the defense received word that Jerry's adopted son Matt, was now alleging that he was another victim and was prepared to take the stand. Amendola indicated that the potential for Matt Sandusky's rebuttal testimony responding to his adopted father would have destroyed any chance for an acquittal.

In the end, that dubious claim did not matter, as Sandusky was found guilty on all but three counts. Amendola concluded his press conference by saying his client's sentence will essentially be a life sentence -- a statement that was greeted by raucous applause from the gathered crowd.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Verdict: The Three Charges For Which Sandusky Was Found Not Guilty

The Harrisburg Patriot-News has a complete list of the charges against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, and on which charges he was found guilty.

Sandusky was found guilty of 45 of 48 charges. He was sent directly to jail after the verdict was read, and he’ll almost certainly spend the rest of his life behind bars, as he obviously should. It’s worth investigating the charges for which he was found not guilty, however, simply to better understand the verdict.

Victim 2
Count 7: Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse

Victim 5
Count 24: Indecent assault

Victim 6
Count 28: Indecent assault

Sandusky was found guilty of several other charges involving each of Victims 2, 5 and 6, so the jury clearly felt Sandusky abused these victims. Beyond that, I’m not a lawyer, and it would be unwise for me to speculate on these charges until someone who’s better-qualified can explain them more thoroughly. Importantly, though, Victim 2 was the unknown victim who Mike McQueary witnessed assaulting in a Penn State shower. McQueary testified that he did not see sexual penetration, so it sounds like that’s why Sandusky was found not guilty of that charge but found guilty in his dealings with Victim 2 of indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangering welfare of children.

Victim 5 said Sandusky showered with him and forced him to touch Sandusky. Victim 6 said that Sandusky called himself the “tickle monster” and embraced him. It’s not yet clear to me why Sandusky was found not guilty of indecent assault of those victims. He was, however, found guilty of unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors and endangering welfare of children in his dealings with both Victim 5 and Victim 6.

Jerry Sandusky Verdict: Sandusky Found Guilty On 45 Counts, Headed Directly To Jail

The New York Times tweets that a jury has found former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky guilty of 45 of the 48 counts with which he was charged. Sandusky was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing young boys.

It’s not yet clear what exactly the jury found Sandusky guilty of, but the jurors clearly found the prosecution’s case compelling. A number of now-young adults testified that Sandusky sexually abused them, and then-Penn State graduate assistant Mike McQueary also testified that he saw Sandusky abusing a boy in the shower of a Penn State football locker room.

The evidence against Sandusky appeared to be overwhelming, with Sandusky looking guilty in his dealings with the press, particularly an infamous interview with Bob Costas. In an interview earlier Friday, Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, sounded resigned to the idea that his client would likely be convicted.

There are still plenty of details to sort out, but for Sandusky’s victims, this appears to be the beginning of the end. Sandusky will go directly to jail. His crimes carry a maximum sentence of 442 years, so barring a wild reversal, he won’t be coming out soon.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, continue to follow this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Verdict Appears Imminent, According To Report

Jurors spent Friday evening deliberating in the child sex abuse case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, and it looks like they’ve reached a verdict, according to a report.

The jury has reached a verdict on the #Sandusky case. Announcement in 20 minutes

A picture of Sandusky leaving his house wearing a suit circulated around Twitter at a little after 9:00 p.m. Friday, so this report would be consistent with that.

Given the scores of charges against Sandusky, it’s not clear yet what to expect from the verdict, and it will probably take a while for reporters at the courthouse to sort it all out.

It does appear very likely, however, that Sandusky is headed to jail, as Sandusky’s own attorney, Joe Amendola, made abundantly clear earlier Friday. Amendola said that if Sandusky was acquitted, he would “die of a heart attack.” He also said that, given the number of charges against Sandusky, “the likelihood is strong he will be convicted of something.”

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, continue to follow this StoryStream.

Joe Amendola: If Jerry Sandusky Is Acquitted ‘I’ll Probably Die Of A Heart Attack’

Jerry Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola, answered some reporters questions inside the Centre County Courthouse as the jury continues to deliberate the 48 counts of child child sex abuse that Sandusky has been charged with. The impromptu press conference violated a gag order put in place by Judge John Cleland, and the session was broken up by a courtroom bailiff when Cleland found out about the situation.

Durring the session, Amendola was honest with his quotes:

"Do you know what the odds are of walking on 52 [now 48] charges? The likelihood is strong he will be convicted of something."

"Acquitted? I will die of a heart attack."

Image: 'Tickle Monster' T-Shirts At Jerry Sandusky Trial

Jerry Sandusky Trial: No Verdict Handed Down Thursday Night, Jurors Ask To Review Mike McQueary Testimony

After some initial drama early on Thursday evening, word came down that jury deliberations had stopped after seven hours. The jury informed Judge Cleland that they had not reached a verdict, but summoned the members of the court around 8:30 p.m. ET to ask for further review of Mike McQueary's testimony.

Judge John Cleland indicated that a review of McQueary's testimony would last close to two hours, so he called it a night and put the court in recess until 9 a.m. on Friday. The jury, however, continued deliberations even though it was clear a verdict would not come down Thursday night.

In addition to McQueary's testimony, the jury also asked to review the testimony of Dr. Dranov -- the close family friend of McQueary. Dranov testified about what McQueary told him after the assistant coach allegedly witnessed Jerry Sandusky raping a boy in the showers of the Lasch Building. Dranov's testimony lasted about 20 minutes.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow thisStoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Matt Sandusky Says He Was Abused By His Adopted Father

Matt Sandusky, Jerry Sandusky's 33-year-old adopted son, was reportedly ready to testify against his father if asked, but the closing arguments took place without him ever taking the stand. He told prosecutors that he witnessed his father abuse children, but was ultimately never called to testify. Victim 4 testified that Matt Sandusky witnessed Jerry Sandusky standing with him in a shower, but that Matt left immediately before the abuse occurred.

On Thursday, the attorney of Matt Sandusky claimed that Matt was previously abused by Jerry Sandusky. After revealing this, Andrew Shubin asked reporters to respect Matt Sandusky's privacy.

"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy. There will be no further comment."

The jury entered deliberations in the Sandusky trial on Thursday and is making a decision on the 48 counts against him, without knowing that Matt Sandusky alleged abuse by his father.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial Goes To Jury After Closing Arguments Conclude

The Jerry Sandusky trial is now in the hands of the jury, who are currently deliberating on the 48 counts against the former Penn State football coach. Sandusky was originally facing 52 separate charges, but four of them were dropped due to redundancy. After the prosecution rested their case on Wednesday, both sides made their closing arguments on Thursday.

According to some accounts, the prosecution's closing arguments were not as strong as those of the defense, but the prosecution might have felt that they didn't need to employ any theatrics given the evidence against Sandusky. The jury has retired to deliberation, and there is currently no timetable for a verdict. A long period of deliberation is not necessarily indicative of a hung jury, simply because of the volume of charges that the jury has to sort through.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: In Closing Arguments, Joe Amendola Blames Victim 1 For Chain Of Events Leading To Trial

The defense closed their argument in the trial of former Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on Thursday with closing arguments from lead defense attorney Joe Amendola. According to StateCollege.com, Amendola blamed Victim 1 for the chain of events that led to 52 charges (now 48) of sexual abuse against Sandusky and the firing of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno.

Amendola reportedly told the jury that Victim 1 exaggerated claims of sexual abuse because he preferred to spend time with his friends instead of Sandusky. After telling his mother, the situation evolved into a ploy to gain financial benefits. From StateCollege.com:

"We believe there was a push when [alleged victim No. 1] came forward," Amendola said. "This is a public figure. Let’s see if we can get more kids. Let’s see if we can move forward."

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Judge Drops Three Charges, 48 Remain

On Monday, one charge of unlawful contact with a minor was dropped in the trial of former Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Jerry Sandusky. Three more charges were dropped on Thursday morning, according to the Associated Press.

Judge John Cleland reportedly found that two charges against Victim 4, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault, were unsupported by evidence. Cleland also said that another charge of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse involving another victim duplicated another count.

With the three dropped charges, Sandusky still faces 48 criminal counts involving 10 victims for alleged sexual abuse. On Wednesday, the defense rested its case, and now both the prosecution and the defense will present their closing arguments on Thursday.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Matt Sandusky Was Ready To Testify For Prosecution, According To Report

On Tuesday, the wife of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky testified in his support. The same can not be said for his adopted son Matt Sandusky, as he was reportedly set to testify for the prosecution against his father's tesitmony on Wednesday.

Citing sources, NBC reports that Matt Sandusky, 33, was in the courthouse on Wednesday, prepared to testify for the prosecution. Per NBC, he has previously been a stalwart for his father and even sat with his mother and other family members in court last week.

However, he reportedly contacted the prosecution after the trial began and told them he would provide testimony about events that he witnessed his father commit. He never took the stand.

Each side are set to make its closing arguments on Thursday, and according to NBC on Twitter, Matt Sandusky did not arrive with his family.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Defense Rests, Closing Arguments Begin Thursday

Jerry Sandusky's defense rested on Wednesday morning in the sexual abuse trial of the former Penn State assistant football coach. The prosecution rested its case earlier in the trial. Closing arguments will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. Following that, the matter will go the jury to determine the Sandusky's fate.

Sandusky himself never took the witness stand during the course of his trial. He was expected to be called on to testify by his own defense team. It was somewhat of a surprise, and the defense leaned mostly on character witnesses to cast a shadow of reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors.

This is only the second week of the trial, which began on Monday, June 11.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Jonathan Dranov Recounts Mike McQueary Description Of Shower Incident

On Wednesday, Dr. Jonathan Dranov testified that Mike McQueary did not tell him specifically that he saw an actual sexual encounter between Sandusky and one of the alleged victims in the shower incident. Dranov added that he did encourage McQueary to report the incident to Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, according to a report from StateCollege.com.

Dranov, described as a "long-time family friend" of the McQuearys, recounted in his testimony that McQueary told him about hearing "sexual sounds" coming from the showers. McQueary also said, according to the Dranov's testimony, that he saw a young boy look out of the showers before being pulled back in by an adult, and later saw Sandusky.

"He said he heard what he described as sexual sounds. I said, 'What do you mean, Michael?' He couldn't go on, he got more upset," Dranov said.

"Each time, he would go back to the sounds, and I would say, 'What did you see?' And he would go back to the sounds."

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Not Expected To Testify At His Trial, According To Report

The Jerry Sandusky trial is winding down this week. In a surprise turn of events, it now appears that Sandusky himself is unlikely to take the stand. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported the news on Wednesday morning, via Twitter, citing sources on the scene at the trial.

Sources here don't expect Jerry Sandusky to take the stand. Defense expected to rest soon, they look very relaxed

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) June 20, 2012

Earlier during the trial, it was reported that the defense would call Sandusky to the stand. On Monday, Judge John Cleland laid out a schedule that could see the case handed over to the jury as soon as Thursday.

Dottie Sandusky, Jerry's wife, was on the stand Tuesday defending her husband.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Family Friend Says Alleged Victim Visited Sandusky Home In 2009

A friend of the Sanduskys, Elaine Steinbacher, testified on Tuesday in Centre Couty court that Victim 4 visited the family home in 2009, bringing along his fiance and baby, according to Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News. The alleged victim testified last week that he arranged the visit in order to appease his girlfriend, who had asked about his relationship with Jerry Sandusky, the former Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator.

Per Tuesday's Steinbacher testimony via PennLive.com:

It was on one of those occasions that Victim 4 called Dottie Sandusky on the spur of the moment and asked to come for dinner. Steinbacher said she and Dottie had to run to KFC to get dinner to feed them.

"The whole purpose of the visit, to me, was for Jerry and Dottie to make a big fuss over his son," Steinbacher said.

They stayed a few hours, and it was friendly, she recalled on the stand. "Just a lovely afternoon," she said. "I remember saying to Dottie, ‘You'll see a lot of them. Obviously he's looking for foster grandparents.'"

Steinbacher said she would stay in the Sandusky home about eight to 11 times per year, while visiting the area on business.

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Dottie Sandusky Denies Witnessing Inappropriate Contact Between Husband, Alleged Victims

Testifying in Centre County court on Tuesday, Dottie Sandusky, the wife of Jerry Sandusky, who is facing 51 counts of child sexual abuse, said she never saw any inappropriate contact between her husband and any of the alleged victims.

Last week, Victim 4 testified that he was sexually assaulted by Jerry Sandusky in the shower in 1998 and forced to try to perform oral sex. Dottie Sandusky responded to the allegations on Tuesday, as outlined by StateCollege.com.

"I walked in and I said, ‘What's going on?' Jerry was very upset. We had asked [him] if he wanted to go to a luncheon. He said he'd really like to go," she testified. "They were just standing in the little hallway. They had their clothes on. Jerry was yelling. I knew Jerry was mad. It was just the way he looked, and he said, ‘We did this for you. You got to do this.'"

For continued coverage of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Penn State Alumni Group Wants Board Of Trustees Vice Chair To Resign Over 'Cover Up' Comments

Penn State University Board of Trustees vice chair Keith Masser was recently interviewed by the Associated Press about e-mails in 2001 between then-university president Graham Spanier and vice president Gary Schultz about whether or not to report the allegations of child sex abuse involving Jerry Sandusky. Because of some of the comments made in that interview, a Penn State alumni group, Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship want Masser to resign his position.

In the associate press interview, Masser stated that it appeared that top administrative and athletic officials were all involved in making the decision to not report the incident to the authorities. The Penn State group asking for his resignation released a statement that wonders how Masser read about the e-mail, when the board has said they would not look at the report until it was released to the public.

From Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News via PennLive.com.

"The trustees have repeatedly promised that they would not review or edit the report scheduled to be released late this summer. They have, in fact, said that they would first see the report only when it was released to the public. That begs the question whether Mr. Masser has had an opportunity to read the email file and, if so, who provided it to him. Former President Graham Spanier, who has not been accused of any crime, has sued the university for access to all of his emails."

The real concern about Masser's comments, according to Robert J. Tribeck, a lawyer for the alumni group, by even saying that there was a cover-up, it feeds into the media sensationalism of a case like this that has and could still do a lot of damage to the university image-wise.

"We have to question the effectiveness of the university legal counsel and PR firms to allow a trustee to make such statements. Contrary to what Mr. Masser may believe, his statements, made a member of the Board of Trustees, constitute a statement of the Board of Trustees and will undoubtedly be utilized in pending litigation against the university."

Continue following this StoryStream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky's Wife Dottie To Testify In Former Penn State Coach's Trial, According To Report

In the latest breaking news in the trial of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel reports that Dottie Sandusky is being brought to the stand by defense attorney Joe Amendola to testify Tuesday afternoon.

Source: Dottie Sandusky is expected to testify this afternoon in the #Sandusky trial

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) June 19, 2012

Dottie Sandusky, wife of the charged former coach, has previously kept quiet about the trial and has not spoken to the media. Reports from last week indicated that the prosecution claimed Dottie allegedly witnessed at least one of the assaults, walking into a hotel bathroom during the assault of Victim 4.

Jerry Sandusky is also expected to testify at some point during the trial, although it is still unknown when. Dottie and Jerry Sandusky are the parents of six adopted children and have been the foster parents for other children in the past.

5:00a

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Experts Question Proposed Psychiatric Disorder Defense

Jerry Sandusky's defense team continues to progress through their case, with arguments potentially ending as early as Wednesday and jury deliberations beginning as early as Thursday. One defense that Sandusky's lawyers have articulated is a personality disorder. They have said he suffers from histrionic personality disorder, via the AP:

It's defined by the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual as "a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking" that is "often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior" and rapidly shifting emotions.

But the AP also cited one expert, Dr. Renato Alarcon of the Mayo Clinic, who said that histrionic personality disorder has been removed from the DSM-V -- the "bible" of mental illness. Another expert quoted by the AP, Glen Gabbard, intimated that this defense is a red herring, and not a plausible explanation for Sandusky's alleged criminal acts:

"That diagnosis, if he has it, would be completely irrelevant to anything having to do with criminal responsibility for acts of pedophilia," said Gabbard, an expert on personality disorders.

After an abrupt end to the trial on Monday, the defense will continue its case on Tuesday morning.

Continue following this StoryStream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Monday Session Ends Abruptly, Prosecution Requests Complete Costas Interview Transcript

The first day of testimony from witnesses for the defense in the Jerry Sandusky trial ended suddenly on Monday afternoon. Just one hour into the session, Judge John Cleland adjourned court until Tuesday morning, citing "technical issues" with some of the witnesses. The Judge also laid out a schedule for the week that could see the end of arguments from the defense as soon as Thursday.

Judge Cleland did not elaborate on the issues with the witnesses. He said that testimony would resume on Tuesday morning, and also said that he expected the defense to rest by Wednesday. That would be followed by a rebuttal from the prosecution before the matter is handed over to the jury.

Four witnesses were called to the stand on Monday, mostly as character witness. Witnesses on the stand included two former Penn State coaches, a former Second Mile board member who testified to knowing Sandusky well, and a former youth counselor who noted that kids with troubled backgrounds can be difficult to predict. All of the testimony was designed to case doubts on the accusations against Sandusky and the damning testimony from alleged victims.

Prosecutors also requested a complete transcript from Sandusky's infamous interview with Bob Costas from NBC containing unaired portions of the interview.

Costas challenged Sandusky's statement that he got to know young people and got close with them in the interest of helping. Sandusky replied:

"Well -- you might think that. I don't know. In terms of -- my relationship with so many, many young people. I would -- I would guess that there are many young people who would come forward. Many more young people who would come forward and say that my methods and -- and what I had done for them made a very positive impact on their life. And I didn't go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I've helped. There are many that I didn't have -- I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways."

That could complicated matters if the defense opts to put Sandusky on the stand before arguments in the trial end.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Dick Anderson Says No Inappropriate Conduct In Shower

The defense's first witness in the Jerry Sandusky trial, former Penn St. Nittany Lions player and assistant coach Dick Anderson, claims there was no inappropriate contact between Sandusky and any boy in the showers. Then Anderson followed up with this, according to Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com.

When asked if he personally ever showered with boys, Anderson said yes - but that was at the local YMCA, where many people would occupy the showers at any given time and in the Penn State locker room showers, though he was never alone with one.

Prosecutor Joseph McGettigan questioned Anderson quite a bit about his own actions and whether he has ever brought a young boy into a hotel room. Anderson said that he did, but only if he felt like the boy needed some kind of emotional support.

The defense also called former assistant Booker T. Brooks to the stand, who had nothing but good things to say about Sandusky.

"When you work with a person over several years, 14 hours a day, you get to know a person," Brooks said of his tenure with Sandusky. "Jerry is well-known, certainly in the coaching world," Brooks said. "Top-notch, words come to mind like that."

While Brooks said that showering with boys was a common occurence. He also admitted to going into the YMCA shower with his daughter, whom he keeps an eye on because she is so young.

Ben Jones of StateCollege.com says that a distinction needs to be made in the kinds of showers referred to by Anderson and Brooks.

The concept of "showering" in this testimony needs to be defined. Big difference between swimsuit showers with an adult and nakedness

— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) June 18, 2012

The defense will continue to do everything they can to defend its client.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Prosecution Drops One Charge, 51 Others Remain

The prosecution in the Jerry Sandusky trial has dropped one charge against the former Penn State assistant coach. According to Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com, a charge of unlawful contact with a minor was dropped on Monday morning.

The charge being dropped had to do with Victim 7. Even with the charge dropped, Sandusky still faces 51 charges related to the child sex abuse scandal.

Defense attorneys made an effort on Monday to get all the charges dropped against the client. Attorney Karl Rominger read through a list of arguments for dropping all charges, but his effort was spurned by the judge in the case, according to Sara Ganim of the Patriot News.

Sandusky will be called to testify by his defense team at some point this week. With 51 charges and a parade of testimony against him, acquittal appears to be a long shot.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky To Testify This Week

The Jerry Sandusky trial continues this week, and it will include testimony from Sandusky himself. The accused former Penn State assistant coach is being brought onto the stand by his defense attorney, Joe Amendola. Exactly when Sandusky will be on the stand is unknown at this time.

Via CitizensVoice.com:

"Did I make an opening statement?" the 63-year-old Philadelphia native [Amendola] quipped to reporters when asked if Sandusky would take the stand. "I'm Catholic. I don't lie."

Sandusky spent more than two hours Sunday with a psychiatrist, Dr. John S. O'Brien, hired by prosecutors to rebut a claim by Sandusky's attorneys that the former coach's "grooming behavior" was a symptom of a "histrionic personality disorder."

Audio recordings of Sandusky's interview with Bob Costas, following the accusations, were played in court previously. Of course, it was the prosecution who played them, because the interview made Sandusky sound so bad. Putting him on the stand seems like a dangerous gambit for the defense, but it may be necessary, since the defense hasn't done much so far to disprove the gist of the prosecution's case.

In addition to Sandusky, his wife Dottie and their children could be called to the stand as well.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Psychologist Will Examine Sandusky, According To Report

CNN is reporting that Jerry Sandusky will be undergoing an examination from a prosecution psychologist on Sunday. The examination comes after a court order issued Friday that allows the defense to use testimony on whether Sandusky suffers from a psychological disorder.

Sandusky's lawyers claim that the content of letters sent to some of the alleged victims comes from a Histronic Personality Disorder, which according to the National Institutes of Health is "a condition in which a person acts in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves."

The prosecution claims that the letters were used as "grooming techniques" that are frequently used by sexual predators.

The trial is expected to resume on Monday, where the prosecution will most likely rest their case and allow the defense to begin theirs.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Judge Allows Defense To Argue Sandusky Has Histrionic Personality Disorder

The defense for Jerry Sandusky is trying its hardest to convince a jury that he is innocent. According to Laura Nichols, the judge in the case has allowed the defense to summon an expert opinion that Sandsuky has "histrionic personality disorder."

Judge Cleland permits #Sandusky defense to present expert opinion re: #Sandusky has a "histrionic personality disorder"

— Laura Nichols (@LC_Nichols) June 15, 2012

Histrionic personality disorder is a rare personality disorder that begins in adulthood. SB Nation's Ryan O'Hanlon previously mentioned the symptoms of the disorder.

The symptoms are often over-the-top behavior, extra-theatrical emotion, and other kinds of attention-seeking behavior.

Despite this, it isn't an easily diagnosed disorder, since many sexual predators exhibit some form or another of these symptoms. So it appears fairly likely that a defense like this could fall flat for Sandusky.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Penn State Scandal: University Asks Court To Dismiss Graham Spanier's Lawsuit

Graham Spanier is suing Penn State University in an attempt to get them to turn over emails that Spanier sent using a PSU email address in regards to Jerry Sandusky's alleged sexual abuse, and the university isn't fighting the suit quietly. They've asked Centre County court to dismiss his lawsuit in its entirety.

The lawsuit was filed by Spanier so that, according to him, he could "refresh his recollection significantly" in regards to the communications he had about Sandusky and his alleged wrongdoing. Spanier was removed as president of the university in 2011 for his failure to properly respond to allegations against Sandusky in 2002.

Penn State claims that Spanier's lawsuit is, "at its core, an attack on the directive on the Office of the Attorney General not to disclose the emails it has obtained as a result of the investigation." The State Attorney General's office is currently conducting an investigation of the university to determine whether or not any wrongdoing by the university led to Sandusky's alleged child abuse, and if they failed to make proper use of the information they had about any wrongdoing by Sandusky and others.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the entire Penn State scandal, including the Graham Spanier investigation and the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky's Friend Joyce Porter Will Defend Him To The End

If you’ve wondered who in their right minds would still be defending former Penn State assistant football coach and accused child rapist Jerry Sandusky, well, here’s your answer. Her name is Joyce Porter, she’s a friend of Sandusky’s, and she says things like this:

“When everyone was persecuting Jesus, someone had to stand with him,” Porter said.

That’s right, everybody. Jerry Sandusky’s plight = similar to Jesus’.

Naturally, Porter has an answer for everything.

What about laying in bed with the kids?

“It’s a sign of him being fatherly,” she said. "Did your dad lay down with you when it was time to go to bed? I know my dad did with me.

The extent of Porter’s defense of Sandusky is hard to appreciate except by clicking through and reading the whole thing, so make sure you do so. Porter seems to be thoroughly deluded, but it’s hard not to feel for her on some level. It must be hard to make a deep friendship just disappear when it turns out your friend (allegedly) did a lot of terrible, terrible things.

Continue following this storystream for more news on the Jerry Sandusky trial.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Victim 6 Describes Shower Encounter

The fourth day of the Jerry Sandusky trail began on Thursday. Victim 6, now 25, spoke, describing an "uncomfortable" shower encounter with Jerry Sandusky in May of 1998 when the victim was 11 years old.

Victim 6 said he met Sandusky through the Second Mile charity. He said that Sandusky then picked him up at his house soon afterward for a workout and tour of the Penn State training facility and the former Penn State coach put his hand on the victim's knee while he was driving.

According to the Patriot-News:

"I remember feeling it was a bit odd, Victim 6 said. He said he pulled away.

After a tour of the facilities, Sandusky and the victim "wrestled a little bit on the carpet."

"I felt uncomfortable with it. But it was Jerry Sandusky, so I didn't want to make him mad," Victim 6 said.

After a brief workout, Sandusky told Victim 6 that it was time for a shower. Sandusky was already in the shower when the victim entered, and he tried to go to a shower across the room, but Sandusky had him come over to the shower next to his.

"I didn't want to be in the shower with him. It felt really awkward," he said.

He said he went over anyway. Sandusky told him jokes and tickled him, he said,"He said he was the tickle monster," Victim 6 testified. He said Sandusky also grabbed him from behind in a bear hug and lifted him up to the shower head to rinse the soap from his hair.

"I don't even remember being put down," he said under questioning from prosecutor Joe McGettigan. "Everything else is blocked out."

Still, he said that at the time he didn't think anything wrong had occurred, even after his mother called authorities and he was questioned by Penn State University police. No charges resulted from that initial investigation.

Victim 6 continued to have contact with Sandusky over the years, sending him a Father's Day greeting in 2009.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream at SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Co-Workers Of Janitor Who Witnessed Alleged Molestation Allowed To Testify

The co-workers of James Calhoun, a janitor who witnessed Jerry Sandusky allegedly molesting a young boy in the showers of the Lasch Building in 2000, had their testimony admitted by Judge John Cleland on Wednesday. Calhoun suffers from dementia and is unable to testify, but he did tell other members of the janitorial staff that he saw Sandusky performing oral sex on a young boy.

The victim of the alleged crime was identified as Victim No. 8. Calhoun immediately told his co-workers of what he saw that night in 2000. Part of the testimony from the November indictment of Sandusky cited Calhoun's statements, via Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News:

"Jim said he ‘fought in the Korean war ... seen people with their guts blown out, arms dismembered ... I just witnessed something in there I'll never forget,' " the testimony states.

His co-worker Ronald Petrosky was cleaning in the Lasch Building that night as well, and testified on Wednesday that he saw two pairs of legs, one larger belonging to a man and one smaller belonging to a child, in a shower that was on in the locker room. He then testified that he saw Sandusky and a small boy exit the locker room. Petrosky recalled his interaction with Sandusky, via StateCollege.com:

"I said, 'Good evening, Coach.' They exited the double doors and walked down the long hallway... about three quarters of the way down Jerry took the boy's hand," Petrosky said.

Petrosky then ran into Calhoun, who was "white as a ghost" and relayed that he had just witnessed Sandusky performing oral sex on the boy.

Some other members of the janitorial staff were notified of what Calhoun had seen, and both he and Petrosky decided it would be best to report it to their supervisor Jay Witherite. Witherite is expected to testify on Thursday.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream at SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Victim 7 Reveals New Details Of Alleged Abuse

At the Jerry Sandusky trial on Wednesday, Victim 7 recounted more details of his abuse that was previously unknown. During his testimony to the grand jury, Victim 7 said that had never actually touched his genital area.

On Wednesday, during cross-examination by Sandusky's defense attorney Joe Amendola, the victim said that only after much counseling and therapy was he fully able to come to grips with what Sandusky allegedly did to him, according to Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com.

The victim said that as a child he loved to go to football games at Penn State. The tickets would come from Sandusky, whom he spent more time with outside of the stadium. The victim alleged Sandusky would initiate the physical contact by touching his leg. The contact made him so uncomfortable that he would walk away to the other side of the room. Despite that, the contact escalated.

Victim 7 said other times, Sandusky would come up behind him in bed and wrap himself around the boy. Victim 7 said he would retaliate by telling Sandusky he was "trying to read," and asking Sandusky to leave.

Alleged Victim 7 was also taken to locker room showers by Sandusky, as were Victim 7 said Sandusky would try to shampoo him and wash his back and shoulders, which made him so uncomfortable that he would try to move down to another shower.

Other physical contact Victim 7 described included bear hugs and touching of his nipples. Victim 7 said Sandusky would lift up his shirt to blow and kiss on his stomach.

There have been four alleged victims who have testified in the first three days of the trial.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream at SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Testimony From Victim 1 Mirrors Earlier Testimony

An 18-year-man known only as Victim 1 took the stand on Tuesday in the Jerry Sandusky trial. It was a gut-wrenching round of testimony from someone who told of being abused by the former Penn State assistant coach for years.

Victim 1 told of how his relationship with Sandusky went from games in the former coach's house to oral sex. The Patriot News describes the defense's cross examination of the witness, who held firm in the face of aggressive questioning.

The events of his relationship with Sandusky mirrored the testimony of Victim 4, who took the stand on Monday.

In addition to the testimony about what happened between himself and Sandusky, Victim 1 also relayed the details of telling his high school counselor about the abuse. The victim and his mother decided to approach the guidance counselor to discuss reporting the incident. The counselor advised against reporting it, telling the boy that Sandusky "wouldn't do something like that."

More alleged victims and others will take the stand as Sandusky's trial continues.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream at SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Mike McQueary Describes Witnessing 'Skin-On-Skin Smacking'

Day two of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial concluded earlier Tuesday afternoon following the testimony of former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary, who told a jury that he witnessed Sandusky abusing a young boy in the Nittany Lions' locker room in 2001. At the time, he relayed the incident to then-head coach Joe Paterno, as previously described in the grand jury testimony. McQueary told a Centre County jury on Tuesday that he heard "skin-on-skin smacking sound," while witnessing something "more than [his] brain could handle.'' Per the Associated Press:

There was Jerry Sandusky standing naked in the showers behind a boy, slowly moving his hips, Mike McQueary testified. He said he had no doubt he was witnessing anal sex.

McQueary, one of the star witnesses in the child sexual abuse case against Sandusky, testified that he slammed his locker shut loudly as if to say, "Someone's here! Break it up!''

Then, he said, he went upstairs to his office to try to make sense of what he had seen.

McQueary's testimony was very similar to the account he gave at the preliminary hearing last December, according to the AP. The primary difference was the year, as he said the incident occurred in 2001, not 2002.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream at SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Mike McQueary Testifies He Made Clear To Joe Paterno That Shower Incident Was 'Sexual And Wrong'

Mike McQueary, who tried to blow the whistle on former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky after allegedly seeing Sandusky raping a young boy in a shower in a Penn State football locker room, took the stand in the case against Sandusky Tuesday.

Judging from the tweets about his testimony so far, it looks like McQueary’s testimony has been pretty similar to what he told the grand jury. Among his most interesting claims is that, upon reporting what he had seen to then-head coach Joe Paterno, McQueary made sure Paterno knew that was had allegedly happened what sexual.

McQueary on convo w paterno: “I told him and I want to make sure I’m clear. I made sure he knew it was sexual and wrong. There was no doubt”

Before he died, Paterno denied knowing the full extent of what McQueary had seen. McQueary did say on Tuesday that, due to Paterno’s stature, he did not use the words “anal sex” to describe what he had seen.

Paterno reported the incident to his superiors but not to law enforcement. Sandusky continued to use Penn State facilities after the incident.

For more on Jerry Sandusky’s trial, continue following this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Victim 1 Testifies About Being Abused In Sandusky Household

Another alleged victim of abuse by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky testified on Tuesday, recounting his own experiences of abuse at the Sandusky household. 'Victim 1' took the stand and said that even when tried to report the abuse, no one took him seriously, according to Laura Nichols of StateCollege.com.

They said we need to think about it and he has a heart of gold and he wouldn't do something like that

The alleged victim went on to talk about his experience, breaking down into tears at some points. When he would stay at the Sandusky household overnight, he said that Sandusky would start with cracking his back, and it would quickly escalate to much more.

Alleged Victim 1 said Sandusky's hands would go down his shorts. Then, Sandusky would lift up the boy's shirt and blow on his stomach - and Alleged Victim 1 said the same thing always happened next.

"He ... put his mouth on my privates," Alleged Victim 1 said, a grimace on his face and a whimper escaping his throat.

The victim claims that 25 separate times he was forced to either give or receive oral sex. The abuse got so bad that the one-time A student saw his grades fall to C to as low as F.

The victim got to the point of trying to avoid Sandusky, which led to Sandusky visiting the victim's home and getting into arguments with him about trying to make more time to visit.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: New Documents Say Gary Schultz Kept A File Of Sandusky's Alleged Abuse

According to CBS Pittsburgh, the Attorney General's office filed a number of new documents late on Monday. Most striking, from these documents, is that former Penn State vice president Gary Schultz supposedly kept a special file that contained information regarding the allegations of sexual abuse committed by Jerry Sandusky.

In a statement, the Attorney General's office said that the file maintained by Schultz contains information that's in direct contradiction with Schultz's -- and former athletic director Tim Curley's -- Grand Jury testimony. The Attorney General's office also stated that it has emails between Curley, Schultz and others that also contradict their Grand Jury testimonies.

As the CBS Pittsburgh report states:

Sources close to the investigation confirm both e-mails in the file kept by Schultz as well as e-mails found in computer data indicate high-ranking Penn State officials, including Spanier, Schultz and former athletic director Tim Curley, knew about an alleged sexual assault that took place in the Penn State locker room shower.

Those documents filed by the Attorney General's office late Monday indicate Schultz told so many lies in his Grand Jury testimony that it was impossible to respond to each and every one of them.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Defense To Argue Sandusky Suffers From Personality Disorder

On Monday, the defense team for Jerry Sandusky filed a motion to have a psychologist to testify about "histrionic personality disorder," a condition which the defense will argue Sandusky suffers from. In response to the "love letters" Victim No. 4 said he received from Sandusky, the defense will argue that the letters match up with the behavior of someone with histrionic personality disorder.

The condition normally begins in early adulthood. The symptoms are often over-the-top behavior, extra-theatrical emotion, and other kinds of attention-seeking behavior.

It is not an easy condition to diagnose, according to Dr. Carol Bernstein, an associate professor of psychology at New York University. As Bernstein told ABC News:

If someone exhibits sexually inappropriate behavior and that's all they have out of the several characteristics, that's not a personality disorder. Any sexual predator exhibits sexually inappropriate behavior.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Gave Alleged Victim No. 4 Money For Marijuana

The first day of the Jerry Sandusky trial is underway, and there has already been some disturbing testimony from the alleged Victim No. 4, starting with a description of an alleged incident in a San Antonio hotel room during the Alamo Bowl and a suggestion that former interim head coach Tom Bradley may have been suspicious of Sandusky's behavior.

But wait, there's more. Victim 4 said on Monday that he was given money to buy marijuana, and that he smoked it with Sandusky present:

Alleged Victim 4: Jerry ‪#Sandusky‬ gave me money to buy pot and I smoked it right in front of him.

Also, there was a contract put in place which paid the alleged fourth victim:

Victim 4: Was paid about $60 a week for doing activities with Sandusky under a "contract" drafted by Sandusky

This latest news just adds another layer to the case, and one can only imagine what lies ahead. The first day is in the books and the trial will resume on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Tom Bradley Saw Sandusky And Boy In Shower, May Have Been Suspicious, Victim 4 Says

One day in, and the trial of former Penn State assistant head coach Jerry Sandusky has already been impossibly lurid. Amid all the allegations about sexual abuse, though, so-called “Victim 4” added a new wrinkle to the case on Monday.

Frmr. #PSU coach Tom Bradley once stayed in the shower until Sandusky and Alleged Victim 4 left. No. 4 thinks the coach was suspicious.

More:

Alleged victim 4 said Tom Bradley came into shower and saw #Sandusky and boy, said he thought Bradley was suspicious b/c he stayed to chat.

Bradley, who took over as interim head coach once Joe Paterno was dismissed late last season, has never been implicated in the scandal. Victim 4’s testimony doesn’t prove he was involved with anything, and it could certainly be that Bradley genuinely had to say something to Sandusky, or that he knew nothing of Sandusky’s alleged behavior and merely thought that seeing Sandusky in the shower with a boy was a little bit odd. Nonetheless, what Victim 4 said is certainly not anything I’d ever want someone to say in public about me. We’re probably going to see lots of high-profile Penn State folks called into question in the next few weeks.

For more on the Sandusky case, stay tuned to this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Victim 4 Testifies About Alleged Incident In San Antonio Hotel Bathroom

The Jerry Sandusky trial is not even a full day old and there has already been some pretty graphic testimony from one of the alleged victims. 'Victim 4,' as he has been called in various court documents ahead of the trial, recounted an incident in which Sandusky was with him in a San Antonio hotel bathroom when the Nittany Lions were invited to play in the Alamo Bowl.

Warning, the following testimony is graphic. Reader discretion is advised.

Alleged Victim 4 testified before the jury Monday afternoon that Sandusky tried to force him to perform oral sex on Sandusky in that shower - only one of several attempts where Victim 4 said he was sexually assaulted by Sandusky.

Abuse ranged from caresses and bear hugs in the locker room showers to two attempts at penetration - one digital and one anal - but fear kept him from speaking out

As the trial goes on, there will be undoubtedly more details of alleged abuse. This is most likely just the tip of the iceberg.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Prosecution Alleges Dottie Sandusky Witnessed Assault

As the Jerry Sandusky trial finally gets underway in Pennsylvania on Monday, the prosecution has made some new allegations. The first of those is that Dottie Sandusky, Jerry's wife, witnessed an alleged assault while the former Penn State defensive coordinator was in a hotel.

Prosecution also states that Dottie Sandusky witnessed an assault in a hotel room.

— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) June 11, 2012

Dottie #Sandusky came into hotel room during abuse of victim 4, who was in bathroom w/ jerry, prosecutor said

— Sara Ganim (@sganim) June 11, 2012

The prosecution also claimed that Sandusky kept records of his victims at the Second Life charity.

#Sandusky had asterisks next to victim names on lists of second mile children, prosecutor said

— Sara Ganim (@sganim) June 11, 2012

This is only the beginning of this trial, so there is a chance that more and more of this information could come to light as the case goes on.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Penn State Scandal: Graham Spanier Could Face Charges

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier could be in line for charges after major new evidence has been revealed, according to Ron Mussellman of StateCollege.com.

The new evidence, according to investigators, was an email chain sent between Spanier, Gary Schultz, and Tim Curley in 2001 in which Spanier and Schultz said that it would be "humane" to Sandusky to not report him to the authorities.

Earlier today, Penn State spokesman David La Torre had the following to say about the report:

"In the course of former FBI Director Louis Freeh's independent investigation, e-mails were discovered and immediately turned over to the State Attorney General.

In deference to the legal process, the University cannot comment further on specifics of the ongoing legal case as it unfolds. We continue to work with the State Attorney General, the US Attorney and Judge Freeh in their investigations into this matter.

We will continue to cooperate fully with all legal processes to determine what happened and ensure personal accountability."

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Penn State Scandal: Rubberneckers Queue Up For Jerry Sandusky Trial

The trial of former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky began Monday morning, and the start of the shocking sex-crimes trial brought out rubberneckers of all kinds.

By 7:30 a.m., a line about 50 deep extended down the steps of the 200-year-old courthouse. People who had cell phones were asked by sheriff’s deputies to return to their cars to leave the devices there. People continued to trickle in until the doors were shut around 8:30.

“I feel like we’re living in a William Faulkner novel,” said Joe Torrell, a 62-year-old from Bellefonte. “Southern courthouse — all the townspeople coming out. Who would have expected this to happen in our little town?”

The spectators apparently included a lot of people with no real connection to Sandusky or his victims who just wanted to participate in a bit of history. I suppose that’s a natural impulse, but it can’t make things easier for the alleged victims.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky trial, check out the rest of this StoryStream.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Allegedly Wrote 'Intimate Love Letters' To Victims

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who is facing 52 counts of child molestation charges, allegedly wrote "creepy" love letters to several victims, according to an ABC News report released on Tuesday.

Eight of those letters, written from Sandusky to the accuser, referred to as Victim 4, will be read during testimony when the three-week trial begins on Monday in Centre County. More from ABC:

The letters, which were allegedly written in Sandusky's own handwriting, are expected to corroborate the testimony of the man known as Victim 4, now 28 years old, who met the coach through Sandusky's charity, the Second Mile. The victim's attorney won't talk about the letter, but sources describe the letters as "creepy" and note that one was written in the third person includes a lewd title and is a love story between a boy and a man.

Jury selection for the case began on Tuesday.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Possibly Facing Federal Indictment

As if Jerry Sandusky didn't have enough to worry about already, a tweet by the SB Nation College Football account says that the former Penn St. Nittany Lions defensive coordinator could be facing a federal indictment.

Jerry Sandusky could also face federal indictment sbn.to/L0FJSP as his Pennsylvania trial begins sbn.to/L0FIhE.

— SBN College Football (@SBNationCFB) June 5, 2012

The report comes from an ABC affiliate in Pennsylvania, stating that one of the alleged victims ("Victim 4") accompanied Sandusky across state lines to the Outback Bowl in Tampa Bay, Fla. in 1998 and the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Tex. in 1999.

Another report by the Patriot-News says that the federal interest in Sandusky has been brewing for a few weeks now. The report also says that there could be interest in the Second Mile charity, so things may not be done yet.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Potential Jurors Wear PSU Gear, Have Connections To Second Mile, Sandusky

Jury selection for the Jerry Sandusky trial began today, and it has already hit a few snags. With such a high-profile case in such a closely-connected community, the vetting process is expected to take a while. While it's still early in the selection in process, a number of conflict-of-interest problems have already appeared.

According to Emily Kaplan, a rising senior at PSU:

Reporter also said a handful of potential jurors wore Penn State gear, including a person wearing a "whiteout" t-shirt from a football game.

— Emily Kaplan (@EKaplan24) June 5, 2012

Courtney Brennan of WPXI also noted:

2nd phase of jury selection...jurors were asked if they knew Jerry #Sandusky, his wife or worked 4 the 2nd Mile...several raised their hands

— Courtney Brennan (@WPXI_Courtney) June 5, 2012

A good portion of the jurors have some connection to Penn State or the 2nd Mile or know Jerry #Sandusky personally. #wpxi

— Courtney Brennan (@WPXI_Courtney) June 5, 2012

As Derek Rocco of The Pens Blog tweeted, these are all pretty easy ways to get out of jury duty, too.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Jury Selections Begins Today

Jury selection for the trial of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is scheduled to take place today. For such a high-profile case in an area where so many people seem to have connections to the Penn State football program and Sandusky's Second Mile charity, jury selection could take a while.

Over at Black Shoe Diaries, Adam Collyer summarizes what's at stake with the jury-selection process:

Jury selection starts tomorrow. In a widely publicized, high profile case such as the Sandusky trial, this is a long and arduous process that could take quite some time. A good explanation of the jury voir dire can be found on the Centre County government website. Considering the number of people in Centre County tangentially associated with Penn State, the Second Mile, Jerry Sandusky, and any of the alleged accusers, this could very well give Amendola's team the delay it needs. This is the start of the biggest trial in the history of Centre County. If we're lucky, it's the beginning of the end of the biggest scandal in the modern history of American universities. Can this guy do the impossible and clear Jerry Sandusky of wrongdoing? Or will the jury that's selected find the litany of accusers to be credible enough to send Jerry Sandusky away for life?

Starting tomorrow, we'll begin to learn the answer.

Collyer's post also summarizes the latest happenings surrounding the Sandusky trial. Read the whole thing right here.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Reporters Will Be Able To Live-Tweet

The Jerry Sandusky trial has gone through some roller coasters and taken some odd angles, but the newest angle will make the trial almost completely unavoidable to anyone who is active on any social media platform. According to a court order issued on Wednesday, reporters will be able to live-tweet and live-blog from the trial.

Such devices may be used during trial for electronic based communications. However, the devices may not be used to take or transmit photographs in Courtroom 1 or the satellite courtroom; or to record or broadcast any verbatim account of the proceedings while court is in session.

Members of the media will be able to bring in electronic devices, which are typically not allowed. The public will still not be allowed to bring in and/or use these types of devices and reporters still may not tweet/blog testimony verbatim.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Second Mile Charity Will Close, Seeks To Transfer Assets

The leaders of the embattled Second Mile charity have filed court documents on Friday to transfer all of their active programs and about $2 million in cash to a Texas-based charity, according to an article published by Charles Thompson of The Patriot-News.

Interim CEO Dave Woodle acknowledges that this move is a direct result of the child molestation allegations against founder, former public face and former Penn St. Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

Woodle noted that as the organization tried to chart its future this winter, it became clear that the agency's supporters, school partners and clients all cited great value in The Second Mile programs, the allegations surrounding Sandusky had simply made the name toxic to donors and fundraising "virtually ceased...

The charity is attempting to transfer its programs to Arrow Child & Family Ministries. While the charity is based out of Texas, it was founded by Washington, Pa. native Mark Tennant. Tennant also dealt with physical and sexual abuse as a child and hopes that by including the Second Mile programs, he can help other at-risk youths.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky's Lawyer Asks For Some Charges To Be Dropped

Joe Amendola, the defense attorney for former Penn St. Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is asking the judge of Sandusky's child molestation case to drop some of the charges. In an article published by Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News, Amendola claims that the charges against Sandusky are too vague.

Unless prosecutors can give more specific dates for the alleged crimes, Sandusky can't prepare a good defense, Amendola said. Amendola is also asking Judge John Cleland to throw out two specific cases against Sandusky in which no accusers have been identified.

Amendola claims the witnesses that are a part of the 2000 case, janitors who witnessed strange behavior by Sandusky in a locker room, would not be able to testify at trial. One of the janitors has dementia and the other would only be repeating hearsay.

In one of the other cases, involving alleged Victim 6, Amendola claims there is not enough evidence to claim that anything sexual occurred with him.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Court Requests Access To Jerry Sandusky's Hard Drive

The trial of Jerry Sandusky has taken a few interesting turns over the past couple of days, and the latest is about a new piece of evidence that the court has requested from Jerry Sandusky.

#sandusky attorney is asking for a trial delay in light of new evidence prosecutors have turned over

— Sara Ganim (@sganim) May 9, 2012

While it is understandable that the defense would want to keep that information from the court, they are being a little ridiculous about the cost it will take to unlock the hard drive.

#Sandusky's hard drive is the subject of a new court request. Defense says they'd need $10k in equipment to read it.

— Sara Ganim (@sganim) May 9, 2012

I guess they haven't heard of the Genius bar? As long as you have an appointment, they could probably knock that out for about $49.99. If the court really wants to make them give up the hard drive, they will likely find easier ways to do it.

Penn State Scandal: Former Assistant Mike McQueary To Sue Penn State

Former Penn State wide receivers coach Mike McQueary has filed a notice of intent to sue Penn State, according to the Centre Daily Times.

The Times reports that Elliot Strokoff, McQueary's Harrisburg-based lawyer, filed a writ of summons in Centre County court earlier on Tuesday, which notifies the university that he intends to sue it.

McQueary is reportedly seeking damages as a whisleblower that are outside normal arbitration limits, according to the four-page document. The document does not, though, outline the details of the lawsuit.

The former assistant testified during a grand jury investigation last year that he witnessed former Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky in an "extremely sexual" situation with a young boy in the showers of Penn State's Lasch Building in 2002. Recent court documents indicate that the incident actually happened in 2001.

McQueary is currently on paid administrative leave. He was placed on leave last November.

For the latest updates on the Penn State scandal and the Jerry Sandusky trial, visit our StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Identities Of The Accusers Released

Prosecutors in the ongoing sexual abuse case involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky claim to have "inadvertently" released the identities of the accusers as part of a 30-page document. The names of the alleged victims were included in evidence turned over to Sandusky's defense team on Monday, according to Sara Ganim of The Patriot News.

In turn, that document was posted on the Centre County court website before judge John Cleland granted a request to seal it. According to Ganim, Cleland had earlier ordered that the names of Sandusky's accusers not be publicly disclosed.

Nonetheless, there isn't much information Sandusky's legal team isn't trying to uncover about the accusers. Per the Associated Press:

In a series of discovery requests made to the attorney general's office in recent months, Sandusky lawyer Joe Amendola has sought school transcripts, medical records going back to birth, Internet search histories, Facebook account details, employment-related documents and cellphone and Twitter records.

They also want to know the alleged victims' IQs, academic grades and medical histories.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Date Of Alleged Abuse Could Be Major Turning Point

The trial of Jerry Sandusky has not yet begun, but there is already a pretty damaging bit of evidence for the prosecutors. They have already changed the date of the alleged abuse witnessed by Mike McQueary, and the defense is now claiming that damages McQueary's credibility, according to Sara Ganim of the Patriot News.

Their counsel stated: "The Commonwealth charged this case before it knew the facts. Now, it is clear that Mike McQueary was wrong in so adamantly insisting that the incident happened the Friday before Spring Break in 2002. Whether or not Mr. McQueary’s insistence was the result of faulty memory, or questionable credibility, there is no dispute that the statute of limitations has expired [on failing to report child sexual abuse] and it will be dismissed."

It would be a shame if the jury only considered the timing of the alleged event and not the event itself, but that is the way it works sometimes in the judicial system. We will have to wait until the trial begins to see how damaging this bit of unreliable memory on McQueary's part is going to be to the prosecutor's case.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Prosecutors Change Date Of Shower Incident

Pennsylvania prosecutors in the Jerry Sandusky trial say that a key piece of their case happened a year earlier than initially claimed. According to the Associated Press, attorneys believe that an alleged attack on a young in the showers of the Penn State locker room happened around Feb. 9, 2001. The incident was first reported to have happened on March 1, 2002, according to the grand jury report that led to Sandusky's arrest.

The shower incident played a major role in head coach Joe Paterno's dismissal. A graduate assistant reported seeing Sandusky in the shower with the victim to Paterno. The coach's failure to notify authorities was cited in the decision to fire him.

Sandusky still denies the charges against him. The identity of the alleged victim in the shower is unknown.

The trial is set to begin on June 5, 2012.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Statement Finally Released

'Outside The Lines' on ESPN has obtained a copy of the statement (PDF) that former Penn St. Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno was going to read at his final press conference. The statement was never read, as the conference wound up being canceled. In the statement, Paterno offers prayers for those that were affected by these allegations. More importantly, he explains what his role was when informed of Jerry Sandusky's wrongdoings by then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary.

The coach in question came to my house on a Saturday morning and informed me that he witnessed former coach Jerry Sandusky in a shower with a young boy. The coach made it clear that he felt strongly that there was something inappropriate going on and that he was very upset by what he saw. The coach made no specific allegations of any identified sexual act, nor did he use any graphic terms - just the idea that what he saw was wrong and that he did not know what to do next.

Paterno would have gone on to say that he had no authority to act directly upon these allegations, given that no specifics were given by McQueary, so he reported the matter to Tim Curley and that was the last that the matter was brought up to him prior to the grand jury hearing.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial Pushed Back To June

Jerry Sandusky's trial has been moved because of scheduling issues. Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, asked the court to push back the trial date and drop a number of charges last week, but this move is unrelated to Amendola's request. Judge John M. Cleland has moved the trial date because of scheduling issues. His order can be found here (PDF).

AND NOW, March 29, 2012, it appearing that the trial previously schduled to begin on May 15, 2012 must be postponed to accommodate various logistical contingencies that have arisen; and, after consultation with counsel; therefore, it is ordered as follows:

Trial in the matter shall begin on June 5, 2012.

The Argument/heading on the defendant's Omnibus Motions scheduled for April 5, 2012, shall proceed as scheduled.

This is unlikely to affect the defense's motion to dismiss and other requests from last week. The new date will still cause the Sandusky trial to take place before Gary Schultz and Tim Curley's trials have concluded, meaning they are not likely to be useful as witnesses.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Labeled 'Likely Pedophile' In 1998 By Psychologist, According To Report

While the attorney for former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky continues to work to have the charges against his client dropped, more revelations about Sandusky's past and behavior continue to emerge. The latest comes from NBC News and MSNBC.com:

More than a decade before former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with more than 50 counts of child sex abuse, a psychologist warned university police that his actions fit that of a "likely pedophile's pattern."

The finding by State College, Pa., psychologist Dr. Alycia A. Chambers, the therapist for one of Sandusky's alleged victims, was contained in the internal Penn State files of a 1998 police investigation of the former coach for showering and bear hugging her client and another young boy in the school's athletic locker room.

There are 10 alleged victims in the Sandusky case, and he is facing 52 counts of sexual abuse. It seems more apparent with each passing day the information in the 1998 police investigation could play a vital role in the trial, scheduled to begin in less than two months.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Defense Asks For Charges To Be Dismissed

Just under two months before the beginning of jury selection for Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse trial, his defense has, according to Adam Smeltz of StateCollege.com, filed a motion to dismiss 40 of the 52 counts that Sandusky has been charged with. Sandusky's lead attorney, Joseph Amendola, argued in the motion to dismiss that the prosecution has failed to show sufficient evidence to proceed on the majority of the counts against Sandusky.

There are 10 alleged victims in the Sandusky case, and in his 95-page motion, Amendola asked for charges involving nine of the ten victims should be dropped. Amendola also requested that the trial be pushed back because some key defense witnesses are unavailable to testify in May, when the trial is set to begin. Additionally, Penn State administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, who could be key to Sandusky's defense, will invoke their Fifth Amendment rights to not incriminate themselves if called to testify before their own perjury trials.

The entire motion can be found at the Centre County website (PDF).

UPDATE: StateCollege.com is now saying the defense has filed for all charges to be thrown out, correcting its earlier report.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Tentative Date Set In Jerry Sandusky Trial

A tentative date for the Jerry Sandusky child abuse sex trail was set for May 14 Friday in a court room in Bellefonte, Pa. during a pre-trail hearing. Sandusky (who is facing over 50 counts of sex abuse of 10 boys) and his attorneys tried to get a loosening on his house arrest restrictions.

"In the post-hearing statement, he said he is upset that he can't see his grandchildren and that one grandchild said his only birthday wish was to see "Pap." Sandusky also said he's upset that he can't throw biscuits to his dog from his porch," reports Sara Ganim of The Patriots News.

After the hearing, Ganim, also said the judge will need to decided on a few issues brought up by Sandusky's defense team: "where the jury pool comes from and whether Sandusky's bail guidelines will be changed."

Prosecutors want to bring in an out-of-county jury for the trial," writes Ganim, "since they believe emotional ties to Penn State are too great within Centre County. Amendola wants a jury from within the county."

The judge is expected to rule on those issues sometime next week.

According to Ganim, Sandusky was laughing and smiling inside the court room. He also want his house arrest modified so he can see his grandchildren.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Attorney For Jerry Sandusky Requests Grand Jury Testimony

The Jerry Sandusky trial is still few months away, but the attorneys that will be involved are already starting to form their cases. That includes Jerry Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola, who requested transcripts of grand jury testimony. According to Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News, the prosecutors have no legal duty to turn those documents over. Amendola and Sandusky feel like it would help speed the trial along when that time comes.

But Sandusky and his attorney, Joe Amendola, say that would cause long delays during his trial -- expected to happen later this year -- especially since Amendola says more than 100 witnesses may have testified, several of them more than once. Instead, he's asking a judge to have prosecutors hand over the testimony early and give Amendola more time to prepare his cross-examination of witnesses at trial.

I don't think the prosecutors of this trial are more concerned with expediting the process than they are with winning the trial, so this might be a long shot by Amendola and Sandusky.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: University May Have Had Legal Presence In Perjury Hearing Of Tim Curley, Gary Schultz

As the perjury trials of former Penn State University administration Tim Curley and Gary Schultz approach, an interesting new wrinkle has developed regarding the University's involvement with a former hearing. According to Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News, the University may have had representation in the previous Grand Jury hearing of Curley and Schultz, even though there was no reason for them to really be there.

Curley and Schultz apparently brought Cynthia Baldwin into the initial grand jury hearing as their representation, even though she made it clear she was only representing the University. Even Baldwin's attorney understands how odd this is.

Davis agreed "it is unusual for a lawyer to be present at a grand jury." But, he said: "At a state grand jury in Pennsylvania, it is up to the discretion of the judge to permit a lawyer to be present. The judge asked Cynthia, ‘Who are you representing?' She said, the university. And he said, ‘You may listen if you wish.' She said, ‘Thank you.' "

Even lawyers representing the person under question are not necessary at Grand Jury hearings, but a lawyer who is not representing the client has no business being there. Baldwin is still not allowed to tell the University of the proceedings of that Grand Jury testimony, even though they are her client. But it could still have an effect on the upcoming perjury trials of Schultz and Curley.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Franco Harris Rips Penn State Board Of Trustees For Handling Of Joe Paterno Firing

Former Penn State and Steelers great Franco Harris has consistently defended former head coach Joe Paterno in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal that rocked the PSU football program and State College as a whole. Friday afternoon, Harris took to the press to attack the Penn State Board of Trustees for their handling of the scandal and their dismissal of Paterno. Onward State has the details.

Harris accuses the Board of Trustees of being “the ones to hurt this university” and calls for Paterno to be allowed to coach the Nittany Lions in their first four games in 2012, presumably to make up for the four he missed after being fired in 2011. He also castigates current PSU president Rodney Erickson for using the phrase “Penn State tragedy.”

I’ve defended Harris in the past, but these are, plainly, asinine comments. Harris doesn’t see the Sandusky scandal as an institutional issue, but there’s no other way to explain the failure of a long list of Penn State employees (a list that includes Paterno) to stop an alleged child rapist. And it’s hard to hear about Harris so strongly portraying Paterno as the victim. It’s Harris’ right to express these sorts of opinions, but they’re awful opinions.

For more on Penn State football, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Investigated By Three Other Grand Juries Prior To Indictment, According To Report

The grand jury investigation that led to charges being filed against former Penn St. Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky wasn't the first one, according to the Centre Daily Times. Indeed, three other grand juries investigated Sandusky for child sex crimes, trustee Mark Dambly told the times. He said university counsel Cythia Baldwin informed the trustees of that information "during a quick briefing" in May 2011.

The most recent grant jury investigation led to Sandusky's being indicted on 40 counts of child sex crimes, including some committed on Penn State grounds. The scandal and the alleged cover-up led to the dismissal of president Graham Spanier and legendary football coach Joe Paterno. Though Paterno didn't commit any crimes, the University may have fired him for failing to meet his "moral obligation" to contact the police upon hearing of allegations against Sandusky.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Board Of Trustees Revisits Its Decision To Fire Joe Paterno

On the evening of November 9, 2011, the Penn State Board of Trustees held a late-night meeting to decide on the fate of then head football coach Joe Paterno in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. It was a tough night for the board, for more than just the waking scandal. The board would have the duty of terminating a living legend, an icon. Recently, members of the board revisited that day with Pete Thamel and Mark Viera of the New York Times.

It was a tiring for Penn Staters everywhere, but especially for the trustees. The board had not spoken publicly since its decision was made, but as Thamel and Viera write, it was a trying time.

"It was hard for us to want to get to the point where we were going to say that," said Ira M. Lubert, a board member who works in private equity. "I was laying in bed that night shaking. And I couldn't sleep, thinking: We just terminated Joe Paterno."

While many scrambled to defend Paterno, arguing that he wasn't at fault for what happened, those seemed to miss the bigger picture. Kenneth Frazier explained why the board's decision was so important.

"To me, it wasn't about guilt or innocence in a legal sense. It was about these norms of society that I'm talking about: that every adult has a responsibility for every other child in our community. And that we have a responsibility not to do the minimum, the legal requirement. We have a responsibility for ensuring that we can take every effort that's within our power not only to prevent further harm to that child, but to every other child."

One of the most surprising issues for the board was that its members, according to their account, found out about all of the news as the rest of the country did. They were caught off-guard, according to trustee member Mark Dambly. "There was a lack of information being provided to us. We found out about it when the rest of the world found out about it," Dambly told the Times.

Overall, the piece by Thamel and Viera is an eye-opening look into the critical decision the board was forced to make on that night. In many ways, the board was charged with firing a hero to many and a living legend. It's also rather surprising that, according to the report, former Penn State Graham Spanier essentially just glossed over the grand jury testimony for the board and left it in the dark.

We'll have more on the scandal in this StoryStream, but for more on Penn State football please visit Black Shoe Diaries.

Joe Paterno Interview: 'I Didn't Know Exactly How To Handle It'

In his first interview since the arrest of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for child sexual abuse shocked the nation, former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno comes across as bewildered and unsure. He describes himself as a man who did his best but had neither the information nor the disposition to do the right thing and make sure Sandusky stayed away from his program and was reported to the police.

Former graduate assistant Mike McQueary allegedly saw Sandusky raping a child in a Penn State locker room in 2002, and reported the incident to Paterno, who informed his superiors at PSU but did not report the incident to the police and continued to allow Sandusky to have at least some access to Penn State football facilities. Exactly how much detail McQueary revealed to Paterno isn’t entirely clear, however, and Paterno now portrays himself as confused about what to do.

“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”

Paterno says McQueary told him the incident “looked like inappropriate, or fondling.” (McQueary himself has said that he did not want to go into “great detail” about the incident with Paterno, and that he revealed more to Paterno’s superiors, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz.) Paterno says he didn’t want to “make a mistake” with the little information he had.

Paterno also says he did not know about a 1998 accusation by a parent who said that Sandusky molested her child.

Both Paterno and his wife have strong words for child abusers.

The Paternos say they think about the real potential victims every time they look at their own children. “I got three boys and two girls,” Paterno said. “It’s sickening.” His knee-jerk response is to go back to Flatbush. “Violence is not the way to handle it,” he said. “But for me, I’d get a bunch of guys and say let’s go punch somebody in the nose.”

It seems morally repugnant to truly have sympathy for Paterno. Whether or not he knew precisely that Sandusky allegedly used Penn State’s football program to rape a child, he had some idea that something happened, and yet the November grand jury presentment states that five years later, Sandusky was still allowed to bring a child to Penn State football practices. If that’s true, then he was oblivious to the point of negligence, at best. But one wonders if things might have been different if McQueary had felt comfortable going into more detail with Paterno.

Joe Paterno Interview: Former Penn State Coach To Break Silence To Washington Post

A little more than two months following his dismissal from Penn State, longtime football coach Joe Paterno discussed the scandal that rocked the university with Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post, the paper announced Friday. It will publish the interview online Saturday at 4 Eastern and in Sunday's print edition. The interview is the first extensive one with Paterno since his ouster, which came as a result of the indictment of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for allegedly committing sex crimes with children.

Paterno owns more victories than any coach in FBS history with 409, a record he set two weeks prior to Sandusky's arrest. Investigation into Sandusky's alleged crimes indicated Paterno knew of some reports of Sandusky's behavior, but informed his superiors at Penn State rather than going to the police. Though not guilty of any crime, Paterno may not have fulfilled his "moral obligation" to notify the authorities, Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett said.

Paterno, 85, served as Penn State's head coach for 46 seasons.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Alumni Air Grievances During Meeting

The Penn State board of trustees put together a series of meetings with alumni to discuss the state of the university in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. According to MaryClaire Dale of ABC, there was a lot of discussion about Joe Paterno and whether or not he was rightfully ousted as the coach of the football team.

"It grieves me very much when I hear people say 'the Penn State scandal.' This is not Penn State. This is 'the Sandusky scandal,'" he said. "We're not going to let what one individual did destroy the reputation of this university."

But there were also some on the other side of the coin and aren't really worried about how Joe Paterno is being handled when there are more important victims to consider.

"Sue and Joe Paterno are not the primary victims in this whole scheme," said Cheeks, Class of 1965. "It's children whose lives have been affected, and maybe destroyed, allegedly."

This is obviously a tough time for the university and it makes sense that the alumni would be worried about the direction of the administration. I don't think there is a perfect way to handle a situation like this, but the frustration from some of the alumni is certainly understandable.

For more on the Penn State Nittany Lions, please head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: University Issues Statement On The Removal Of Joe Paterno

More than two months later, Penn State University issued a statement on its website Thursday which addressed the sudden and swift removal of former head football coach Joe Paterno. In the statement, the University said that the legendary coach was relieved of his duties before the conclusion of the season because of "extraordinary circumstances." Before his ouster by the Board of Trustees, Paterno had announced that he would retire at the end of the 2011 season.

Via Penn State Live:

Given the nature of the serious allegations contained in the Grand Jury Report and the extraordinary circumstances then facing the University, the Board's unanimous judgment was that Coach Paterno could not be expected to continue to effectively perform his duties and that it was in the best interests of the University to make an immediate change in his status. Therefore, the Board acted to remove Coach Paterno from his position as Head Football Coach effective as of that date. Coach Paterno remains employed by the University as a tenured faculty member. The details of his retirement are being worked out and will be made public when they are finalized.

It's the first official explanation from the University. Paterno's son, Scott Paterno, has already responded to the statement, saying the University's removal of his father as coach was not "handled well."

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Scott Paterno Says His Father's Ouster Was 'Not Handled Well'

Earlier this week, Jay Paterno announced that he and head coach Bill O'Brien had come to an agreement that he would not return next season as a member of Penn State's coaching staff. Thursday, Joe Paterno's other son, Scott, went public with comments about the way the University handled his father's removal. According to the Associated Press, Scott Paterno is not pleased with the way it went down.

Scott Paterno via AP:

"It is helpful to have on the record the Board's position (about) my father's status with the University," Scott Paterno said in his own statement. "As has become apparent, the termination on November 9, with no notice or hearing, was not handled well.

"Joe Paterno has reiterated from the beginning that the first priority in this crisis is to serve the best interests of the victims," Scott Paterno continued. "He believes strongly that everyone involved is entitled to due process."

Paterno's statement came Thursday after the University tried to clarify why Joe Paterno was immediately removed and not allowed to retire at the end of the season.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Reportedly Attended Game In President's Suite A Week Before Being Arrested

One of the issues that still remains unresolved from the whole Penn State scandal is how much the University knew about what Sandusky was doing, and how much of an effort they made to distance themselves from the former defensive coordinator. We'll learn more about this as the situation unfolds I'm sure, but a bit of pretty damning evidence came out this week. According to Deadspin and the Patriot News, Sandusky attended a game in the President's suite at Beaver Stadium about a week before he was arrested.

The source, who requested anonymity out of fear of jeopardizing business relationships, also told The Patriot-News that [Tim] Curley [the athletic director at the time] originally did not want to give Sandusky tickets to the game, but Sandusky's wife, Dottie, was so insistent that he eventually relented.

As if it could even get worse, this reflects extremely poorly for the former administration of the University. They are already out obviously, but if this is true, then it shows just how wrong they were in the way they treated the entire Sandusky situation.

For more on this story, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Wants To Tell His Side Of Story, According To Son Jay

Penn State Scandal: Dottie And Jerry Sandusky Considering Going On Oprah

Despite a disastrous interview with Bob Costas, Jerry Sandusky and his wife Sandusky are considering making another public television appearance to defend Mr. Sandusky against charges he sexually abused young boys and used the Penn State football program to do so.

Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, told the Harrisburg Patriot-News this week that the two may sit down with Oprah, Barbara Walters, or even return to Brian Williams’s Rock Center—since the first visit went so very well.

If I’m Joe Amendola, I tell the Sanduskys to avoid the TV cameras at all costs, since there’s nothing they can say that won’t either make Jerry Sandusky look guilty (as his interview with Costas did) or bat the beehive (as Dottie Sandusky’s recent public statement did, railing against “false accusations”). The best thing for the Sanduskys to do would be to keep quiet. Of course, much of what we’ve heard and seen from their attorneys so far has been shockingly tone-deaf, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they went ahead and made the TV appearance, with Amendola’s blessing.

Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Editorial Argues That Penn State Should Not Promote From Within

The Harrisburg Patriot-News editorial board wonders about Penn State’s decisions to promote from within in the wake of firings related to the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Rodney Erickson, for example, was promoted to become the president of the university almost immediately after the departure of Graham Spanier, and Dave Joyner, also a PSU insider, will reportedly be the school’s new athletic director. Several candidates to be PSU’s next head football coach already have connections to the school. The article also asks why Steve Garban did not step down from the Board Of Trustees.

I can understand where the desire for a fresh perspective comes from, obviously, but from where I sit, it’s not really needed except on the most obvious level. After a child-molestation scandal to which Erickson, Garban and most other people still employed by Penn State had no known connection, it should be pretty easy for them to take precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Ultimately, this editorial does not present any legitimate reasons why these people aren’t right for the jobs they’re filling, just innuendo.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Still Regarded Favorably By Pennsylvania Voters, Says Quinnipiac Poll

Most registered voters in Pennsylvania still have a favorable opinion of former Penn State Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno, despite his relationship with former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who's accused of sexually abusing several children, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. Though 52 percent of respondents support the University's decision to dismiss Paterno, 48 percent of them still hold a favorable opinion of the FBS' all-time leader in victories, while 36 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

Unsurprisingly, the voters surveyed who also identified themselves as interested in college football fans have different results. 57 percent of the self-identified football fans regard Paterno favorably, compared to just 29 percent with an unfavorable opinion.

Penn State Scandal: Trial For Former Administrators Tim Curley, Gary Schultz Approved

After a preliminary hearing Friday, district judge William C. Wenner approved a trial for former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, saying prosecutors indeed have enough evidence to bring the case to trial. Curley and Schultz are accused of perjuring themselves in grand jury testimony regarding their knowledge of alleged sex crimes committed by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The former officials’ lawyers maintain their clients’ innocence, believing uncorroborated testimony from Mike McQueary will not be enough for the prosecution to succeed. Curley and Schultz said they never received any indication from McQueary that the alleged contact he witnessed between Sandusky and a young boy in Penn State’s shower facility was as serious as rape.

In Friday’s hearing, McQueary said “it was very clear that it looked like there was intercourse going on,” which is what he relayed to coach Joe Paterno, who in turn informed Curley and Schultz. His testimony is key to the prosution’s case against the former Penn State officicals.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Testimony Entered In Record

Friday afternoon, the testimony Joe Paterno made before a grand jury in January was entered into the record in a hearing for former Penn St. officials Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, reports Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News. Paterno, 84, was unable to take the stand Friday because of physical ailments stemming from a fall he suffered in his home, so his earlier testimony was used instead.

Curley, the former athletic director, and Schultz, the former vice president, are charged with perjury for their testimony regarding a rape allegedly committed by Jerry Sandusky, the longime Penn State assistant coach accused of multiple child sex crimes, some perpetrated on the Penn State campus.

In Paterno’s testimony, which lasted approximately six minutes, the former head football coach said Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant with the football program, telephoned him on a Saturday morning—Paterno could not recall the year—and said he’d seen Sandusky “fondling a young boy” in the shower facility of Lasch Building.

“It was of a sexual nature,” Paterno said of the fondling McQueary mentioned. “I’m not sure exactly what it was. I didn’t push Mike … because he was obviously very upset.”

Paterno then went on to say he told McQueary he would notify the appropriate parties at Penn State about what McQueary witnessed, meaning Curley. The coach said he could not remember what year these phone calls took place, but did remember it was a Saturday. As Paterno recalled, he did not telephone Curley immediately because he did not want to disturb him during the weekend.

Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary On What He Told Joe Paterno

When we initially found out that assistant coach Mike McQueary had in fact gone to Joe Paterno and told him about what he had seen the shower, the question that came to everyone's mind was, "What exactly did McQueary tell him, or, how much did Paterno actually know?" McQueary has been testifying this morning in the hearing against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, and he just got to the part about him telling Joe Paterno, Based on these two tweets, it appears that McQueary did not divulge everything to Paterno.

McQueary says his initial meeting with Paterno only lasted 10 minutes. He did not use any word relating to "rape" or "intercourse."

— Onward State (@OnwardState) December 16, 2011

So McQueary wasn't entirely honest with Paterno about what he saw, but it still seems like he told Paterno enough that the former head coach should have made a bigger stink of it. The reason why McQueary didn't tell Paterno everything doesn't exactly hold water.

"In my mind, you don't go to Coach Paterno and describe in detail horrible sexual acts."

— Onward State (@OnwardState) December 16, 2011

See, if you work at a facility where one person has almost complete control and you witness something as wrong as this going on, that is the exact type of person you go to about it. When it comes to matters like this, there is no time for McQueary to be embarrassed about talking to his boss about it. It would be interesting to see how this whole thing would have unfolded if he had just been totally forthright with Paterno.

Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary Testifies In Hearing For Tim Curley, Gary Schultz

Mike McQueary was on the stand testifying against former University officials who were accused of lying to a Grand Jury about the potential child sexual abuse that happened on their campus with former coach Jerry Sandusky. USA Today is live-bloging the events, including some disturbing quotes from McQueary himself. Here is what McQueary had to say about what exactly he saw in the shower.

"I believe they were having some kind of intercourse. He moved toward shower and Sandusky separated from the boy. He didn't say anything and left. I was distraught. I was horrified"

Even worse, McQueary is confident that that Sandusky and the boy that were in the shower were aware of him when he walked into the shower and saw them.

"I know they saw me. They both looked directly in my eyes, both of them,"

As the trial comes about, the details surrounding the case are only going to get worse and worse. We'll be following the rest of this testimony in this StoryStream.

Video: Jerry Sandusky Before The Scandal

Jerry Sandusky Attorney Says His Client May Have Showered With Boys To Help Them With Hygiene

“I have the worst ****ing attorneys.”

-George Bluth on Arrested Development

A lawyer for former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky says Sandusky showered with boys not because he wanted to rape them, but because he wanted to teach them hygiene. Yes, really. Sandusky attorney Karl Rominger:

“Some of these kids don’t have basic hygiene skills,” Rominger told WHTM-TV on Tuesday. “Teaching a person to shower at the age of 12 or 14 sounds strange to some people, but people who work with troubled youth will tell you there are a lot of juvenile delinquents and people who are dependent who have to be taught basic life skills like how to put soap on their body.”

Wow. Wow wow wow. This immediately tops the list of audacious excuses for terrible behavior. Not only is it bizarre and not believable, but it adds more than a touch of contempt for the children Sandusky was allegedly molesting. You see, they’re dirty people. What a terrible thing to say. The cluelessness of Sandusky’s attorneys continues to amaze me. I was about to compare this particular excuse to Larry Craig’s “I have a wide stance” excuse for allegedly soliciting sex in an airport bathroom, but this one is so much worse – even less believable, and not only ridiculous, but profoundly offensive.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Waived Hearing To Avoid Increase In Bail

Jerry Sanusky waived his right to a preliminary trial earlier this week, which raised some eyebrows because it means the case heads to straight to trial without Sandusky being able to offer a plea. Now we have a little more clarification on why Sandusky and his attorney decided to go that route. According to the Patriot News, Sandusky's defense attorney waived the preliminary hearing because of an agreement with the state to not raise the bail that Sandusky would have to pay.

Amendola writes, "Jerry would waive his preliminary hearing on Tuesday in exchange for certain assurances from the Commonwealth, the most important of which was an agreement that the Commonwealth would not seek to increase Jerry's bail prior to his trial."

The Commonwealth attorney took this deal to his superiors and contacted Amendola at 7:30 p.m. stating they would accept. They then met in person and confirmed the agreement that would avoid a bail increase for Sandusky.

This makes a lot more sense now that we know there was a concrete reason that Sandusky and his attorneys decided to waive that hearing. The case would have almost certainly gone to trial anyway, so if the defense can get something out of waiving the hearing, that makes sense.

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Sandusky, Accusers Digging In Heels

Joe Amendola, the lawyer for Jerry Sandusky, told the media Tuesday morning that his client will not be taking any deal.

Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, addressed the media and insists that this case will go to trial. He is not considering a plea deal.

Amendola had previously implied that Sandusky might eventually consider taking a plea, but that doesn’t seem likely now. Which, in a way, makes sense – it’s hard to imagine Sandusky being offered a plea that isn’t, functionally, the rest of his life in prison, so there isn’t much incentive for him to take one unless the trial gets too ugly for him. (Someone made a similar point a couple weeks ago, but I can’t remember who.)

Amendola also engaged in some batting-the-beehive stuff:

“There have been candlelight vigils for victims, when in fact all we have are accusers.” – Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola

Seriously, what a terrible thing to say. And an unwise thing, as almost no one seems to be sympathetic to Sandusky at this point, and a comment like this is sure to anger Sandusky’s accusers.

Meanwhile, it seems unlikely that Sandusky’s alleged victims will back down.

A representative for Victim 4 also gave a statement on behalf of his client. He assured that he will “stand his ground.”

Between the awful stories the accusers have told and Amendola’s standoffish attitude, it seems like a trial could get very ugly indeed.

Jerry Sandusky Waives Right To Preliminary Hearing, Arraignment Scheduled For January 11

Jerry Sandusky was supposed to go in front of a judge today for his preliminary hearing, but he has waived that right and will next be in court for his arraignment on January 11, according to SB Nation.

The preliminary hearing is a right given to the accused where they appear in court and the judge decides if there is enough evidence for the trial to continue at a later date. Sandusky waiving the trial means that he understands that the case will head to trial without any further delay. 

It is also interesting to note that the preliminary hearing would have been an opportunity for Sandusky's accusers to sit in the same courtroom as him. As far as we know this would have been the first time that they would have an opportunity to confront him although their actual interaction would be limited if it even existed at all.

We'll have more on the scandal in this StoryStream, but for more on Penn State football please visit Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Allegations Lead To California Legislation

The state of California has already responded to the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State before the case goes to trial, with state representatives introducing new legislation to reduce the possibility of a similar scandal in California. The legislation requires all athletic organizations to train their employees in how to identify and report child abuse:

On Monday, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) is set to announce a bill that would require all athletic organizations to provide their employees with training on how to identify and report child abuse.

Last month, Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) announced separate bills that would require employees of universities and colleges, including athletic directors, coaches and graduate assistants, to report suspected cases of child abuse to law enforcement.

This legislation in California is similar to federal legislation that has been introduced by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California). The bill, if passed in California, would toughen penalties for not reporting abuse.

Penn State Scandal: Dottie Sandusky, Wife Of Jerry Sandusky, Denies Allegations In Angry Statement

The latest grand jury presentment in the Jerry Sandusky scandal contains an allegation that Sandusky kept one of his victims in the basement of his home when the victim visited, serving him meals in the basement and also sexually abusing him there. The victim says that at least once, he yelled for help, knowing that Sandusky’s wife Dottie was in the house, but Dottie Sandusky didn’t answer.

Through attorney Joseph Amendola, Dottie Sandusky has issued a denial of this charge, saying that she never ignored any cry for help and that she believes her husband is innocent.

I am also angry about these false accusations that such a terrible incident ever occurred in my home. No child who ever visited our home was ever forced to stay in our basement and fed there. All the kids who visited us ate with us and our kids and other guests when they were at our home. Our children, our extended family and friends know how much Jerry and I love kids and have always tried to help and care for them. We would never do anything to hurt them. I am so sad anyone would make such a terrible accusation which is absolutely untrue. We don’t know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue.

Oh boy. Jerry Sandusky’s earlier denials of the charges against him only emboldened his accusers. This “We don’t know why these young men have made these false accusations” isn’t going to help. Either Mrs. Sandusky really believes her husband is innocent, or she’s getting some very bad advice. Given the advice the Sanduskys’ attorney Amendola has given them so far – he was the one staring off into the distance while Jerry Sandusky withered to Bob Costas’ questioning on national TV – it’s hard to tell which.

Jerry Sandusky Arrested: Former Penn State Coach Released On $250,000 Bail

Jerry Sandusky was arrested on Wednesday on two more counts of child sexual abuse and the court set a 250,000 bail. It seems like Sandusky has posted that bail and will be released.

On Thursday morning, ESPN's Ashoka Moore reported that Sandusky has posted bail, according to court documents. He posted that bail using $200,000 in real estate holdings and a check for $50,000. Sandusky will now leave jail for his home and will wear an electronic monitoring device to ensure that he doesn't go places he isn't supposed to go.

It is important to note that Sandusky will still be forced to wear an ankle monitor and won't be allowed to enter the Penn State campus.

One of those places he isn't supposed to go is the campus of Penn State University, which he is no longer allowed to visit. Incredibly, Sandusky was arrested while wearing PSU attire. Prosecutors had asked the judge to set Sandusky's bail at $1 million, but that request was denied.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky scandal, stay tuned to this storystream. For more on Penn State football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Bail Set At $250,000 As Sandusky Arrives At Arraignment In Penn State Track Suit

As you’ve probably heard by now, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was taken from his house in handcuffs Wednesday and taken to court, where he was charged with child sexual abuse in two new cases. The court set bail at $250,000 cash, and Sandusky will have to wear an ankle monitor if he pays it. Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, says Sandusky will try to post bail. In the meantime, he's on his way to jail.

Amazingly, Sandusky wore a Penn State track suit to his arrangement. Ben Jones:

The fact Jerry Sandusky was wearing a Penn State track suit during his arraignment is something I can’t even comprehend.

Yep, that’s incredible, and it’s got to anger a lot of PSU partisans. You may recall that, when he was interviewed right after charges against him became big news, Sandusky was also wearing a track suit then.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky scandal, stay tuned to this storystream.

Jerry Sandusky Accuser Says He Yelled For Help While Being Assaulted, But Sandusky's Wife Didn't Answer

The Harrisburg Patriot-News notices a particularly lurid detail in the new grand jury presentment concerning the two additional Jerry Sandusky victims.

Victim 9 was always, without exception, told to sleep in the basement bedroom. Victim 9 testified that Sandusky specifically told him to stay in the basement unless otherwise directed by Sandusky. He ate meals in the basement and the food would be brought to him by Sandusky …

Sandusky also attempted to engage in anal penetration of Victim 9 on at least sixteen occasions and at times did penetrate him. The victim testified that on at least one occasion he screamed for help, knowing that Sandusky’s wife was upstairs, but no one ever came to help him.

That is genuinely terrifying. You’re going to see a lot of writing about this new grand jury presentment that attempts to stay above the fray by avoiding specifics regarding details like these. But this is ultimately what we’re talking about. Jerry Sandusky allegedly raping a 12-year-old boy, whom he kept stashed away in his basement, while Sandusky’s wife allegedly ignored it.

Jerry Sandusky Arrested On Two New Allegations Of Sexual Abuse

Police arrested former Penn St. Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on new charges of sexual abuse filed by two more accusers who have stepped forward, reports Bob Ley of ESPN. The grand jury which inititally indicted Sandusky in November has added these accusers' accounts to its report, which one can find in .PDF format at this address.

The first of the new accusers, now an 18-year-old man identified as Victim 9 in the updated grand jury report, alleges he met Sandusky through Sandusky's charity The Second Mile when he was approximately 11 or 12. "Victim 9 testified that Sandusky was a very affectionate person," the report says. Sandusky's interactions with Victim 9 "escalated to sexual assault," with many of them taking place in the basement of Sandusky's home, where Victim 9 slept when invited over. Victim 9 also alleges incidents of sexual abuse at a hotel where Sandusky would take him sometimes.

Victim 10, the other new accuser, also met Sandusky through The Second Mile. Sandusky took an interest in him and invited him to Penn State football games, as he allegedly did with Victim 9. During one visit to Sandusky's home, Victim 10 says in the report, Sandusky began wrestling with him, an activity which culminated in Sandusky sexually abusing Victim 10. "Sandusky repeated this behavior on subsequent occasions," the report says.

The scandal involving Sandusky, who retired from coaching in 1999 but maintained a relationship with Penn State as a professor emeritus, rocked State College, most notably prompting the dismissal of legendary football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier.

For more on the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog

Jerry Sandusky Victims In Grand Jury Presentment Will All Testify Against Him, According To Report

ABC News reports that all eight of the boys former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually abuse him will be witnesses against him. That includes "Victim 2," the boy Mike McQueary allegedly saw Sandusky raping in the shower of a Penn State football locker room. The grand jury presentment had indicated that Victim 2's identity was unknown.

Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola, had previously indicated that at least one of the alleged victims had denied that any abuse had occurred, but it appears that's not the case. If it does in fact turn out that all eight boys will testify against Sandusky, that would seem to be a tremendous blow to Sandusky's defense. Innocent until proven guilty and all that, but I'm not sure how Sandusky's lawyer is going to be able to convince a jury that his client isn't guilty.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh for more on the Penn State scandal.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Says He Never Discussed Allegations With Joe Paterno

Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky has conducted a four-hour interview with the New York Times, looking to provide his side of the story in the scandal that has rocked Penn State University and the college football landscape in the past month.

In a four-hour interview, Jerry Sandusky, in addition to explaining his life's work with children and denying charges that he molested young boys, shed light on several key aspects of the Pennsylvania attorney general's investigation of the crimes he is accused of and the actions, or inaction, of officials at Penn State University and the Second Mile charity where Sandusky had worked for decades.

Interview excerpts, video courtesy of the New York Times:

According to this report from Yahoo's Rivals.com blog, Sandusky is quoted as saying he never discussed previous child molestation allegations with Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno:

During a lengthy interview at his lawyer's home, Sandusky told the newspaper he and Paterno never spoke about the alleged 2002 incident or a 1998 child molestation complaint investigated by the Penn State campus police.

"I never talked to him about either one," Sandusky said. "That's all I can say. I mean, I don't know." He worked for Paterno for nearly 30 years.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Jon Stewart Talks To Bob Costas About Jerry Sandusky Interview

Penn State To Donate $1.5 Million Of Bowl Revenue To Sex-Crimes Groups

Penn State is still doing a significant amount of work to work on their image in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky trial, and according to Genaro C. Armas and MaryClaire Dale at ABC news, that means promising a significant amount of money from their bowl revenue to various sex-crime groups in the state of Pennsylvania.

Penn State will give $1.5 million from its share of postseason bowl revenue to two sex-crimes advocacy groups as it deals with the aftermath of sex abuse allegations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. School officials promised the donation Thursday as part of a three-year partnership with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

It's going to take a lot more than firing the entire coaching staff and $1.5 million to wipe Penn State's image clean, but that is a pretty good start. Every little bit of good publicity counts at a time like this, particularly because seeing Penn State in a postseason bowl could be polarizing for those who watch it. Giving some of the money they receive for playing in that bowl game is a very nice gesture.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky's Attorney Talks About Pleading Guilty, But Not Yet Ready To Do So

As the accusations against his client pile up, Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, is talking about the possibility of Sandusky pleading guilty to the child sex abuse accusations that have rocked State College and Penn State.

Not yet, however, as it appears Sandusky doesn’t yet want to give up the fight (as is his right, obviously).

“That could happen if more allegations come forth and Jerry gets to the point where he realizes fighting against more than the original allegations might be a real uphill battle,” Amendola said. “Bottom line, Jerry has always maintained his innocence, from the first allegation, and continues to maintain innocence. What happens with any additional charges which may be filed remains to be seen.”

It’s very hard, at this point, to see how Sandusky could dodge all the charges against him. There are a ton of accusers, and they’re probably still not all out of the woodwork. And there’s Mike McQueary, whose testimony the grand jury found very convincing.

Amendola now says he has a witness who claims to be the victim and can dispute aspects of McQueary’s testimony, although the victim now has his own lawyer, who doesn’t sound especially happy about Amendola’s comments.

“Our investigation reveals that Sandusky is an unrepentant child predator. He caused incalculable devastation to children, their families and our community and is continuing to do so through his attacks on the victims’ credibility,” Shubin added in a written statement.

It doesn’t yet sound like Amendola and Sandusky want to give up. But it also sounds like something they might consider in the future.

Penn State Scandal: New Accuser Files Suit Against Jerry Sandusky, Says Report

A plaintiff identified only as John Doe filed a lawsuit against former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky on Wednesday, alleging Sandusky sexually abused him more than 100 times from 1992-96, when the plaintiff was between the ages of 10-14, writes Maryclaire Dale of the Associated Press. In addition, the suit names Penn State University and The Second Mile--the children's charity Sandusky founded in 1977--as defendants. The plaintiff, who met Sandusky through the charity, alleges some incidents of abuse occurred in a Penn State locker room.

The accuser is not among the eight victims named in the grand jury report which indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of child sexual abuse earlier in November, but is instead a new victim who has come forward after learning about other allegations against Sandusky. "I am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened," the man identified as Doe said via his lawyer in a written statement. "but feel now even more tormented that I have learned so many other kids were abused after me.

Penn State told the Associated Press it has yet to see the suit.

The scandal surrounding Sandusky, who retired from coaching in 1999 but retained accesss to the university's facilities via his professor emeritus status, rocked State College. It cost university president Graham Spanier and legendary head football coach Joe Paterno their jobs, though they have not been accused of any legal wrongdoing. In addition, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz were indicted on perjury charges relating to efforts to cover up Sandusky's activities.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Accusers To Sue The Second Mile Charity

One of the accusers of former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has filed court papers seeking an injunction against The Second Mile, the charity Sandusky started in 1977, to prevent the charity "from transferring or divesting its assets," reports Bill Pennington of the New York Times. The lawyers for the victim in question--known as Victim 4--filed the papers "to ensure that the organization is being financially responsible."

Sandusky is charged with sexually assaulting eight young men over an 11-year span. He ended his 30-year career as an assistant coach to Joe Paterno in 1999 and received professor emeritus status. Some of the alleged encounters took place on Penn State property.

The injunction, filed by Benjamin Andreozzi and Jeffrey Fritz, who represent several victims of Sandusky's alleged crimes, specifically asks that the charity's assets “not be dissipated, encumbered or in any way obligated or disturbed in any form and should be available to victims of sexual abuse." The lawyers contend The Second Mile is partially responsible for Sandusky's alleged crimes for not reporting allegations of sexual abuse to the police upon learning of them.

The Sandusky scandal rocked Penn State, costing university president Graham Spanier and coach Paterno their jobs, and resulting in wide receivers coach Mike McQueary being placed on administrative leave. Grand jury testimony revealed McQueary witnessed Sandusky raping a child in a Penn State shower facility. McQueary reported the incident to Paterno, but did not notify the authorities.

Penn State Scandal: Sue Paterno Not Allowed To Use PSU Gym, According To Report

Sara Ganim reports that Sue Paterno, the wife of recently-dismissed Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, was kicked out of a PSU athletic facility where she often swims.

No reason was given, the source told The Patriot-News, and when reached by email, university spokesman Bill Mahon said, “I have heard nobody discuss this” …

Sue Paterno used Penn State facilities to swim and exercise everyday, the source said, but was told Wednesday morning that she could no longer use the facilities.

That seems unnecessarily harsh, but her husband was dismissed, and a large part of the Jerry Sandusky scandal that started all this stemmed from the university’s unwillingness to truly tell Sandusky to buzz off. Sue Paterno isn’t Sandusky, obviously, but she doesn’t have an official connection to the university anymore, either, and she’s putting the university in an awkward position by continuing to use its facilities. I feel bad for Sue Paterno, but I can’t really blame PSU for erring on the side of being too harsh here. I’m sure I’m going to get flamed for saying so, but that’s fine.

UPDATE: It turns out Sue Paterno wasn't kicked out. The pool was closed for the holidays. Much ado about nothing!

Penn State Scandal: Children And Youth Services Investigating Two New Jerry Sandusky Allegations, Says Report

According to Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News, the Children and Youth Services in Pennsylvania has begun investigating former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for two new allegations of child abuse. This news is notable for several reasons, not the least of which being that these allegations, if credible, would be "would be the first known cases to be reported since Sandusky’s arrest that involve current children," Ganim writes. "All of the other publicly known cases of alleged victims coming forward have been adults."

Sandusky, who coached under Joe Paterno at Penn State for 30 years before retiring and receiving a professor emeritus title, was arrested earlier this month on 40 counts of child sexual abuse, involving eight children over a 15-year span. Some of the alleged encounters took place on Penn State grounds, including one former assistant coach Mike McQueary, since placed on administrative leave, witnessed in a locker room facility in 2002 as a graduate assistant.

Ganim's report puts forth the possibility that these latest allegations against the disgraced former assistant coach, if true, could raise questions about whether the police took action against him too late.

Penn State Scandal: Former Head Of FBI Louis Freeh Will Help Lead Independent Investigation

Penn State just held a press conference to announce the results of a board of trustees special committee meeting to launch an independent investigation to try and find out exactly what happened with former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and any members of the Athletic Department who might have known what he was up to. According to a series of tweets from Ben Jones, that independent investigation will be aided by former head of the FBI Louis Freeh.

Freeh also helped lead the investigation at USC about the improper benefits Reggie Bush may have received, and also the investigation into potential bribery inside FIFA. Here are some more details on that investigation. All tweets from Ben Jones.

Freeh's findings will not be available until the investigation is complete and no interim reports will be made public.

"We will immediately report any instances of criminality to appropriate law enforcement authorities."- Judge Freeh

Six of the nine investigation committee members are also members of the Board of Trustees.

Frazier emphasizes that while members of the committee are BOT members, that Freeh has free reign to investigate, including those members

Penn State has not spoken about the cost of the investigation. Will go as long as it takes to find the truth.

Jim Boeheim On Syracuse Molestation Investigation: "I'm Not Joe Paterno"

Syracuse men's basketball Jim Boeheim had some strong words for the media on Friday night, defending himself, and his accused assistant Bernie Fine. An investigation into Fine's possible molestation of a Syracuse ball boy was initiated this week after ESPN reported the accusations, with a second source corroborating the claim. In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky case, and subsequent Joe Paterno firing, some have tried to draw parallels between the two cases. Boeheim, however, strongly disagrees and issued a stern statement which included a couple direct shots at Paterno and Penn State.

Via Bud Poliquin of the Syracuse Post-Standard:

"I can't support a friend of 50 years? I hope that's not the case. Some people have said that if these allegations are true, I should be fired. Why? Because Bernie Fine is my friend and I support him? I don't have any reason not to.

I'm not Joe Paterno. Somebody didn't come and tell me Bernie Fine did something and I'm hiding it. I know nothing."

Boeheim does not mince words - the distinction he draws is direct and unmistakable, but it certainly won't sit well with Paterno supporters.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Joe Paterno Has Treatable Form Of Lung Cancer

The news of Paterno's cancer comes a week after his dismissal from his head coaching duties at Penn State.

Penn State Scandal: NCAA To Investigate

The NCAA announced it will investigate Penn State University for its handling of the sexual abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, notifying university president Rodney Erickson of its decision in a letter signed by president Mark Emmert. "I am writing to notify you that the NCAA will examine Penn State's exercise of institutional control over its intercollegiate athletics program, as well as the actions, and inactions, of relevant responsible personnel," Emmert writes. Penn State may have violated bylaws 19.0.1.2 and 10.1. The former bylaw reads, in part:

Individuals employed by or associated with member institutions for the administration, the conduct or the coaching of intercollegiate athletics are, in the final analysis, teachers of young people. Their responsiblility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.

Sandusky is charged with 40 counts of child sexual abuse, with eight boys having come forward alleging incidents spanning 15 years; some of these alleged encounters occurred on Penn State property. According to grand jury testimony, wide receivers coach Mike McQueary--since placed on administrative leave--walked in on Sandusky raping a boy in a Penn State shower facility in 2002 and notified coach Joe Paterno, who then notified his superiors. Though McQueary and Paterno have not been charged with a crime, former athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz are charged with perjury for providing false testimony before the grand jury. The university fired Paterno and president Graham Spanier in the wake of Sandusky's indictment.

Joe Paterno Statue Will Stay, Says Report

David Joyner stepped down from the Board of Trustees at Penn State University to take over as the school's athletic director following the dismissal of Tim Curley, whom police have charged with covering up a child sexual abuse scandal involving former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. In an interview with Reuters, Joyner said he does not plan to remove the statue of legendary coach Joe Paterno from outside Beaver Stadium.

Penn State fired Paterno and university president Graham Spanier last Wednesday in the wake of the scandal; both men knew of allegations against Sandusky in 2002, but failed to notify the police. They have not been charged with a crime, but their questionable conduct prompted the Board to unanimously vote in favor of their dismissal.

Nonetheless, the statue of Paterno, the all-time leader in FBS victories with 409, will remain oustide Beaver Stadium, where it was erected in 2001.

Further, Joyner, who played for Paterno during his collegiate career, said he will not cancel the rest of the Nittany Lions' football season. He explained that decision by saying, "We have a lot of young men that have worked hard." In addition, he noted "the school would not turn down a bowl game invitation."

Via Nittany Roar.

NCAA '12 Caption For Penn State / Ohio State: 'Hide The Children'

Penn State Scandal: Trustees Hire Law Firm For Sandusky Sex Abuse Case

Penn State University has hired the large PIttsburgh-based law firm of Reed Smith to represent them in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. With three current and former employees facing criminal charges, and civil suits reportedly on the horizon, it's still unclear if Reed Smith has been hired to handle the specific criminal charges or to provide blanket counsel for all issues, criminal and civil, arising out of the scandal.

Via Associated Press:

Reed Smith spokeswoman Jamie Moss said Thursday that the firm will be working on issues related to the arrest of Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant football coach accused of sexual abuse involving eight boys over 15 years, as well as administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, who are charged with not properly alerting authorities to suspected abuse and perjury. Moss declined to say whether Reed Smith, which lists more than 1,700 lawyers on its website, would be focusing on criminal or civil matters.

In addition to hiring counsel, PSU also stated on Thursday that its continued search for records or documentation to support Mike McQueary's utterance on CBS that he had notified campus police that he had witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in the showers of the Lasch building. There is still no record of a report made by McQueary.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Luke Ravenstahl Targets Franco Harris For Supporting Joe Paterno

I think Joe Paterno deserved what he got for doing the absolute minimum to stop alleged child rapist Jerry Sandusky. And oh, by the way, Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl is lobbying to have former Steelers running back Franco Harris kicked off the board of the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program.

Now, if you haven’t been following this story, you might have read those last two sentences and thought, ‘Those things have nothing to do with one another.’ And, well, you’d sort of be right. But the reason Ravenstahl wants Harris off the board is related to the Penn State scandal. Sort of.

You see, Harris is an alleged child rapist. Wait, no, that’s not right. Let me try that again. Harris made some comments in support of an alleged child rapist. Wait, that’s not right, either. Okay, here goes: Harris made some comments in support of Paterno, who reported an alleged child rapist to his superiors, but not to the police.

I think Harris was wrong to have done that. Paterno doesn’t deserve to be defended. But I think loyalty to Paterno can fall within the bounds of good intention, especially considering that Paterno was once Harris’ coach and that Harris himself played absolutely no role (that we know of, of course) in enabling Sandusky. I find it hard to fault Harris too much for taking the side of a man who coached him decades ago. Someone like Ravenstahl should have better things to do than worry about this stuff. It’s also hard to imagine he’s going to score too many political points attacking a local hero for having the nerve to be wrong in supporting an old friend.

Penn State Scandal: Bobby Bowden Concerned For Joe Paterno After Paterno's Departure

Bobby Bowden, who stepped down Florida State’s coach in 2010 (and used to be West Virginia’s coach as well), has expressed concern for Joe Paterno after the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal forced Paterno from his longtime job as Penn State’s head coach.

Speaking of Paterno, Bowden said, "I am afraid for him because, after coaching 61 years, then all of the sudden you’re not coaching.

“You just simply have to have something else to get your mind on,” Bowden added when contacted by phone Thursday afternoon. “I hope Joe can find a hobby or something that will challenge him to keep going, and I really feel like he will.”

I can understand why Bowden, whose retirement from Florida State was really more like a termination, would empathize with Paterno, but obviously, Paterno isn’t the victim here. He appears to have made his own bed by doing the legal minimum to stop Sandusky’s abuse, and his firing from Penn State was deserved.

Penn State Scandal: Birth Mother Of Jerry Sandusky's Adoptive Son Speaks Out

There is a new wrinkle emerging in the Jerry Sandusky investigation, and it has to do with Matt Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator's adoptive son. According to Kevin Dolak of ABC News, Matt Sandusky's birth mother Debra Long feels that Jerry Sandusky is to blame for some of her son's issues throughout life.

"My son was afraid of Jerry. If Jerry said don't talk, he didn't talk. I would sit back and watch when Jerry would show up, how excited Matt was," she said. "And then, as time went on, I would watch the same kid hide behind the bedroom door and say, 'Mom, tell him I'm not home.'"

Long believes that exposure to Sandusky was what made her once-quiet son lash out, and eventually fall into the coach's hands.

It is important to note that Matt Sandusky does not claim that Jerry abused him sexually, and that his Mother does not believe that happened as well. But Long clearly feels like something happened here that was detramental to her son's development.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Message Board Posting Led Police To Mike McQueary

There’s a long New York Times report about the Jerry Sandusky investigation on Thursday. The big new detail it reveals is that a message board posting may have led investigators to Mike McQueary, who reports that as a Penn State graduate assistant in 2002, he saw Sandusky raping a boy of about 10 years old.

Working off the brief mention on an Internet forum where people chatted about Penn State athletics, according to the two people with knowledge of the case, investigators narrowed their list of coaches likely to have seen something to Mike McQueary, then an assistant coach and the football program’s recruiting coordinator …

There, one day a little over a year ago, McQueary unburdened himself, the two people said. He needed little prompting.

Message boards about college sports are often cesspools for rumors of all kinds, so maybe it’s unsurprising that the detail about McQueary came from there. What perhaps is surprising is that the rumor turned out to be true.

Be sure to check out the rest of the report – it’s a good read.

For more on the Penn State scandal, check out the rest of this storystream.

South Park Skewers Penn State Scandal

Mike McQueary On Penn State Assault: 'I Did Stop It, Not Physically'

Mike McQueary, who appears to be the prosecution’s most important witness in the child sexual abuse case against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, wrote in a recent email that, in apparent contrast with what appeared in the grand jury presentment, he stopped Sandusky’s molestation of a boy in the showers at a Penn State locker room.

The Nov. 8 email from McQueary to a friend, made available to The Associated Press, said: “I did stop it, not physically … but made sure it was stopped when I left that locker room … I did have discussions with police and with the official at the university in charge of police …. no one can imagine my thoughts or wants to be in my shoes for those 30-45 seconds … trust me.”

We’ll have to see what “did stop it, not physically” means, but that’s a strange thing to be absent from the grand jury’s report. If the assault did in fact occur, then hopefully McQueary really did stop it (perhaps by yelling at Sandusky to get lost, or something) and isn’t lying now to save his reputation. Either way, I would expect Sandusky’s attorney to make quite a stir about the apparent contradiction.

Alleged Jerry Sandusky Victim Will Say He Was 'Severely Sexually Assaulted,' Lawyer Says

An alleged sexual assault victim of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was offended by Sandusky’s and his attorney’s recent television interviews with Bob Costas, and will testify that Sandusky “severely sexually assaulted” him, the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Sandusky suggested in some of his comments about the victims that maybe people were backing off,” [lawyer Ben] Andreozzi said in a telephone interview from his office in Harrisburg, Pa. “My client heard that and has dug in his heels. He is feeling more comfortable about going through with this. The comments maybe backfired. They have caused victims to be more motivated to testify against him.”

I’m not overly inclined to trust what lawyers have to say about this one way or the other, but it’s clear that Sandusky’s attorney Joe Amendola’s decision to have Sandusky give a phone interview didn’t make a whole lot of sense. It sounds like Amendola’s comments didn’t help a whole lot, either.

Tom Bradley Testified Against Jerry Sandusky, According To Report

Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News reports that Penn State interim head coach Tom Bradley was a witness against former PSU assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. It’s not clear what Bradley might have said, and there’s nothing about Bradley’s testimony in the grand jury presentment. It might, however, have had something to do with this.

Tuesday, in response to a The Patriot-News question, Bradley said that he did share a residence with assistant coach Mike McQueary around 2006 or 2007. McQueary has testified that he witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in a campus shower. Bradley said that when they shared a home, Bradley was spending most of his time at his home in Pittsburgh, and McQueary was staying there only as an interim option. He was planning to buy a house with his soon-to-be-wife.

There’s nothing else to add here until we know what he said, obviously. Bradley ended up being Penn State’s temporary head coach after Joe Paterno was fired, of course, but there’s no reason to think his testimony had anything to do with that. It would, however, be interesting to see what Bradley actually told the grand jury.

Penn State Scandal: David Joyner Reportedly Named Acting Athletic Director

According to this tweet, board of trustees member David Joyner has been named the acting director of Penn State athletics.

Joyner attended Penn State and graduated undergrad in 1972, then received his medical degree from the College of Medicine in 1976. He has been on the Board of trustees since 2000. Here is some more on Joyner via his profile on Penn State's website.

Dr. Joyner is a member of Penn State Libraries Development Advisory Board, Co-Chairman, Paterno Libraries Endowment, Chairman of the External Advisory Board for the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Schreyer Honors College, member of the Board of Directors of The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, member of the Hershey Medical Center Capital Campaign Committee and was active in the Grand Destiny Campaign for Athletics. Dr. Joyner was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Penn State in 1992.

LaVar Arrington To Jerry Sandusky: 'Say You're Sorry'

Video: Jon Stewart On Jerry Sandusky

Sarah Palin: Jerry Sandusky Should 'Hang From The Highest Tree' If Guilty

It's no surprise that politicians have begun to weigh in on the Penn State scandal. It's a hot-button issue and it gives candidates a chance to hammer home the quality of their morale fiber to their constituents. That includes former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, now a regular contributor to Fox News, who had this to say on that channel last night after some nudging on the issue from Greta Van Susteren, according to USA Today.

"Hang him from the highest tree. I'll bring the rope," she said.

Wow.

She was a little more reserved, however, on the issue of Penn State playing in a Bowl Game this year. Presidential candidate and Penn State alum Rick Santorum feels like the Nittany Lions should be barred from postseason play as a result of the scandal. As hard as it is for me to say this after that last comment, Sarah Palin was actually much more reasonable.

"It's not the players' fault that they have a perverted former assistant coach," she said on Fox News. "I would like to see the players not suffer more than they have suffered."

Franco Harris Loses Endorsement For Expressing Opinion About Penn State Scandal

For whatever it's worth, a local radio station reports that the Penn State scandal is actually affecting former Steelers star Franco Harris in his dealings with the Meadows Casino.

'In light of the recent developments with Franco Harris regarding Joe Paterno's dismissal, Franco and The Meadows have mutually decided to put their business relationship on hold at this time, while these matters are looked into further.'

Harris' error, apparently, was defending Joe Paterno, who lost his job in the wake of the scandal for enabling - or not doing enough to stop - alleged child rapist Jerry Sandusky. 

I personally wasn't in favor of Paterno keeping his job, but I do think dumping Harris for expressing a contrary opinion (and not a particularly farfetched one, either - I think Harris is very wrong, but his is an opinion a lot of people share) is a bit much. This is particularly true given, as Seth Rorabaugh sarcastically put it, "Well you certainly wouldn't want to sully the good, wholesome reputations casinos have."

Joe Paterno Sold House To Wife For $1 Months Before Penn State Scandal Broke

The New York Times reports that, back in July, Joe Paterno gave full ownership of his house to his wife for the token sum of $1. The rest of the article is filled with speculation about why exactly that might be, considering the coincidence that Paterno ended up losing his job just a few months later for failing to do enough to stop an alleged child predator. One of Paterno's lawyers denies that this has anything to do with the scandal, but given the lack of an obvious alternate explanation for the transfer, there's some speculation that Paterno transferred ownership in order to avoid losing it should civil suits be filed against him.

Lawrence A. Frolik, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in elder law, said that he had "never heard" of a husband selling his share of a house for $1 to his spouse for tax or government assistance purposes.

"I can’t see any tax advantages," Frolik said. "If someone told me that, my reaction would be, ‘Are they hoping to shield assets in case if there’s personal liability?’ " He added, "It sounds like an attempt to avoid personal liability in having assets in his wife’s name."

There's no way to know what Paterno might have been thinking at this point, or maybe at any point. We'll see if he starts getting hit with civil suits, however.

Key Witness Mike McQueary To Speak About Penn State Sex Scandal On CBS Evening News Tuesday

On Monday night, embattled former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky joined Bob Costats for a televised phone interview on NBC. On Tuesday, Mike McQueary takes center stage when he joins the CBS Evening News to talk about the scandal that has rocked the Penn State campus to its core this past week and a half.

McQueary is under intense scrutiny because he allegedly witnessed Jerry Sandusky raping a minor in the showers at the Lasch Building on campus dating back to 2002 as detailed in a Grand Jury report. In other words, he’s the key witness in this whole vile story, and who he told and when he did so is valuable information as investigators and the public try to get a grasp on who beyond Sandusky is responsible for allowing repeat offenses take place on campus.

The sex scandal involving Sandusky has resulted in the termination or resignation of multiple high-ranking administrators, including former president Graham Spanier and legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

Watch McQueary on the CBS Evening news beginning at 6:30 pm EST.

Jerry Sandusky Interview: Unaired Portion Raises Questions About Sexual Abuse Allegations

On Monday evening, NBC aired an interview of Jerry Sandusky conducted by Bob Costas. According to Costas, the entire interview didn't air. A portion of the interview that didn't air on NBC contained an extremely bizarre answer, much more bizarre than anything Sandusky said in the aired interview. Costas asked Sandusky if it mattered that he helped some children if those efforts were just a ruse to secure relationships with young boys.

The former Penn State coach replied in part to the question, "I didn't go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I've helped. There are many that I didn't have-- I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways."

The unaired portion of the interview is up on the New York Daily News. Below is the full text of the above referenced question:

BOB COSTAS

19:00:28:00: "But isn't what you're just describing the classic MO of many pedophiles? And that is that they gain the trust of young people, they don't necessarily abuse every young person. There were hundreds, if not thousands of young boys you came into contact with, but there are allegations that at least eight of them were victimized. Many people believe there are more to come. So it's entirely possible that you could've helped young boy A in some way that was not objectionable while horribly taking advantage of young boy B, C, D, and E. Isn't that possible?"

JERRY SANDUSKY:

19:01:01:00: "Well -- you might think that. I don't know. (LAUGHS) In terms of -- my relationship with so many, many young people. I would-- I would guess that there are many young people who would come forward. Many more young people who would come forward and say that my methods and-- and what I had done for them made a very positive impact on their life. And I didn't go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I've helped. There are many that I didn't have-- I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways."

The reasoning for NBC not airing this portion of the interview is unknown, but Sandusky looks like he nearly admitted to having sexual conduct with some boys.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Bob Costas Talks To Dan Patrick About His Interview With Jerry Sandusky

If you're like me, you wondered why in the heck Jerry Sandusky's attorneys would allow him to conduct an interview with Bob Costas while the investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct is still being investigated. Apparently Sandusky's lawyers advised him to do just that. Bob Costas, who conducted the interview with Sandusky via telephone, spoke with The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday morning to discuss the interview, his reactions to Sandusky's comments and his take on the whole sordid situation. Here's a partial transcription of their conversation.

When he taped the interview with Jerry Sandusky:

"The interview was taped at 7:15 or 7:20 yesterday and then aired at 10:00 on Brian Williams show. When I spoke with you in the morning I thought the guy we were speaking with was going to be Joseph Amendola, his attorney, and we did in fact speak briefly with him. But literally 10 or 15 minutes before we were going to sit down with Amendola, Amendola said to me ‘what if I can get Sandusky on the phone? How would you feel about that?’ I said ‘let’s try and do it.’ So we just pivoted and made it Sandusky."

If there were any stipulations on what he could ask:

"No. None. And Amendola was sitting there the whole time as the cameras rolled."

What he said that shocked him:

"The description of the things that he will acknowledge doing that he seems to think were only mistakes in judgment. If you take the most benign possible interpretation, even take what he and his attorney concede, this is so highly inappropriate that such a person has no business regardless of whether somewhere in the mix of things they actually harbor a charitable impulse toward young children, that person has no business even with the minimum stipulations here being around young children on any kind of ongoing basis."

See rest of Costss transcription from Tuesday's Dan Patrick Show

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Lawyer Asked Bob Costas To Speak To Sandusky, Report Says

Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky held a phone interview with Bob Costas last night, which lead to many wondering why on Earth he would speak publicly while being investigated for multiple charges of molestation. According to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, the original interview wasn't even supposed to be with Jerry Sandusky, it was supposed to be with attorney Joe Amendola.

Quick story about the Bob Costas interview w/ Jerry Sandusky. It was initially supposed to be an interview w/ attorney Joe Amendola at NBC studio, Amendola asks Costas if he wants to speak with Sandusky by phone. Costas (no doubt surprised) says yes. Costas then drawing on his prep for Amendola, Costas interviews Sandusky. That it came upon him so quick makes Costas's work even more remarkable.

This makes Costas interview much more impressive, as it sounds like it was completely unprepared and spontaneous. Costas still delivered the tough questions.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Jerry Sandusky Scandal: Second Mile Attendee Comes Forward With New Details

A special by Anderson Cooper on the Penn State scandal will air at noon on Tuesday, and the Centre Daily Times has some excerpts. It includes an interview with a former Second Mile camp attendee on his interactions with Jerry Sandusky:

Troy Craig: I can remember clearly the first time that I got into the car, in the passenger seat, we were alone in the car, I mean I’m there with him for two seconds before the doors closed and his hand is on my left thigh and it stays there, and stays there the entire car ride, and from my place to campus is about 25 to 30 minutes.

Anderson: What did you think at the time?

Troy Craig: I certainly didn’t make any connection between his hand on my leg and any kind of sexual perversion. That didn’t strike me as something possible between a grown man and a child. I just knew it was uncomfortable, and for me mainly because it made my leg hot. It would be 20 minutes into the car ride and I almost wanted to give him my other leg because it would just stay there and every once in a while it would squeeze, but it didn’t move.

This is hardly the most damning piece of evidence to appear so far, but it certainly doesn’t look particularly good. And as Jason Kirk points out, it’s hard to see what Craig would have to gain by lying about this now.

Penn State Scandal: More Accusations Surface As Close To 10 Additional Victims Come Forward, According To Report

In an interview with Bob Costas on NBC, Jerry Sandusky spoke out publicly on Monday night for the first time since he was accused of sexually abusing young boys. It also appears that more and more suspected victims are speaking up and coming forward as well. According to a report from The New York Times, close to 10 additional suspected victims have come forward accusing Sandusky of sexual abuse.

Via Mark Viera and Jo Becker of The New York Times:

Close to 10 additional suspected victims have come forward to the authorities since the arrest of the former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on Nov. 5 on 40 counts of sexually abusing young boys, according to people close to the investigation. The police are working to confirm the new allegations.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Jerry Sandusky Interview: Sandusky Denies Inappropriate Sexual Contact

On Monday night, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky broke his silence in a telephone interview with Bob Costas on NBC's news program Rock Center. Sandusky denied any inappropriate sexual contact with underage boys.

I say that I am innocent of those charges...I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them, and touched their leg without intent of sexual contact. So if you look at it that way, there are things that would be accurate.

Sandusky denied any allegations of inappropriate sexual contact and said that he never touched their genitals or engaged in oral sex.

He expressed regret, stating "I shouldn't have showered with those young kids. That's what hits me the most." He did deny that he was sexually attracted, but not before pausing and struggling with the question from Costas.

Am I sexually attracted? I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But no, I'm not sexually attracted to young boys.

The former defensive coordinator said the rape allegations of a 2002 shower incident witnessed by then grad assistant Mike McQueary are also false. He characterized it thusly:

I was showering and horsing around. He turned all the showers on and was sliding across the floor. We were, as I recall, snapping the towel and...horseplay.

Sandusky also said that Joe Paterno never spoke to him directly about his behavior - never expressing disapproval of any kind or asking if he needed help or counseling. He said Paterno did not have information prior to the 2002 report by McQueary.

Costas gave Sandusky the opportunity to respond to those who characterize him as a monster.

I don't know what I can say, or what I could say that would make anybody feel any different now. I would just say that if somehow, people could hang on until my attorney has a chance to fight for my innocence. That's about all I could ask right now.

He also stated that he felt horrible about what had happened to Penn State, but that he only played a part in it and it wasn't his fault.

Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary In Email To Former Teammate Says He "Made Sure It Stopped"

In addition to Jerry Sandusky's interview, NBC news is also reporting on an email that assistant coach Mike McQueary has sent to former teammates. McQueary has been under fire for not going to police after allegedly witnessing Sandusky raping a minor in the showers at the Lasch building on Penn State's Campus in 2002, allegations detailed in a Grand Jury Report. On Monday night. NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander tweeted quotes from an email that McQueary sent to former teammates.

Via Peter Alexander of NBC News:

"I did the right thing...you guys know me... the truth is not out there fully... I didn't just turn and run... I made sure it stopped...I had to make quick tough decisions..."

McQueary is currently on administrative leave. He did not coach on Saturday against Nebraska, with the Penn State citing safety reasons as why they did not want him on the sidelines. There were allegedly a number of threats made against McQueary.

Jerry Sandusky Interview To Air At 10 PM Monday Evening

An an exclusive interview with Bob Costas set to air Monday night at 10 pm EST, Jerry Sandusky admits to ‘showering and horsing around’ with young boys, but stops short of admitting that he committed pedophilia against the boys who brought allegations of sexual abuse against him.

“I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact,” said Sandusky.

When pressed by Costas about what Sandusky was willing to concede that he’d done was wrong, Sandusky said, “I shouldn’t have showered with those kids.”

The sex scandal involving Sandusky has resulted in the termination or resignation of multiple high-ranking administrators, including former president Graham Spanier and legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

Watch the entire interview this evening on NBC beginning at 10 pm EST / 9 pm CST.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno's Name Will Be Removed From Big Ten Championship Trophy

Less than a week after Joe Paterno was removed as the head coach at Penn State, he suffers another blow in his Conference. According to Brett McMurphy of CBS, Joe Paterno's name will be removed from the Big 10 Championship Trophy, and it will now just be known as the Stagg Championship Trophy, named after Amos Alonzo Stagg.

“We believe that it would be inappropriate to keep Joe Paterno’s name on the trophy at this time,” (Big 10 commisioner Jim) Delany said. “The trophy and its namesake are intended to be celebratory and aspirational, not controversial. We believe that it’s important to keep the focus on the players and the teams that will be competing in the inaugural championship game.”

This is just the latest example of the fallout that continues to come from the Penn State scandal, and I'm sure it won't be the last. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: CEO Of Jerry Sandusky's Second Mile Charity Resigns

The Penn State scandal continues to ripple through all the lives of those connected to it. Anyone associated with either Jerry Sandusky or the Penn State football team seems to be on shaky ground. The latest person to resign, according to Sara Ganim, is Jack Raykovitz, the CEO of Jerry Sandusky's charitable organization.

Raykovitz was part of the Second Mile charity. The exact extent of Second Mile's knowledge of his indiscretions are unknown, but it did prevent Sandusky from making any contact with children at charitable functions starting in 2008. According to this article also by John Schmitz of the Post-Gazette, that was not the first the charity knew of Sandusky's dealings with children.

State College attorney Wendell V. Courtney was apprised of the investigation in 1998 because he was then counsel for Penn State and for The Second Mile. He has not responded to interview requests. That investigation, by university police, was closed when the Centre County district attorney's office decided not to file charges.

Video: MSNBC Compares Penn State Protest To Berkeley

President Obama 'Soul-Searching' On Penn State Scandal

The Penn State scandal seems to have permeated every level of the National consciousness, all the way up to the commander-in-chief. President Obama was asked about the Penn State scandal in a recent press conference, and according to David Jackson of USA Today, he implored the country as a whole to investigate what it meant for our various institutions.

There have been problems, obviously, with respect to sexual abuse or assault directed against women, where institutions sort of closed ranks instead of getting on top of it right away. And that's why I said I think all institutions, not just universities or sports programs, have to step back and take stock, and make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect people who may be vulnerable in these circumstances, but also just keep in mind what's important -- making sure that our excitement about a college sports program doesn't get in the way of our basic human response when somebody is being hurt.

This is a difficult thing for Obama to speak on because there is now right answer, no way that he can make this situation seem palatable. But he does make an interesting point about what this means for all of us, and it is important for us to learn something here.

Jerry Sandusky Bail Judge Volunteered For The Second Mile, According To Report

Deadspin reports that judge Leslie Dutchcot, who decided that former Penn State assistant Jerry Sandusky should be released on $100,000 unsecured bail, volunteered for the Second Mile, the charity Sandusky allegedly used to find boys to abuse. The terms of Sandusky’s bail allow him to avoid paying anything unless he fails to appear in court.

Of course, also according to her profile, Judge Dutchcot is a volunteer for Sandusky’s group, The Second Mile. Sandusky turned himself in the morning of November 5, a Saturday, at Judge Dutchot’s Centre County office. He was released, under the aforementioned terms, shortly thereafter.

There’s no problem with Dutchcot volunteering for the Second Mile, of course. What Deadspin finds surprising is that she did not recuse herself.

I grew up in Wheeling, and my father is a lawyer there. When you’re dealing with a town that small, and a high-profile defendant with ties to the community, it would seem unlikely that there would be no connection between the defendant and the judge. That’s simply the reality of small-town, or even medium-town, life. I can’t blame her for that. Unless her connection to the Second Mile turns out to be a particularly deep one, I’m not sure I’d worry too much about this. Given that Sandusky received what looks like a favorable bail deal, though, I’d expect some tooth-gnashing about this.

Penn State Scandal: Reports Say Penn State Will Be Target Of Civil Suit

Reports surfaced Sunday afternoon that Penn State University will be hit with a civil suit arising out of the alleged abuse by Jerry Sandusky and administrators’ failure to take action. The Daily Beast reported that two legal teams are preparing civil suits against the University – claims that may only grow in the coming days and weeks.

Via Jessica Bennett of The Daily Beast:

"This may be the most high-profile sexual abuse case ever," says Benjamin Andreozzi, a Harrisburg, Pa., lawyer who is representing at least one of the victims listed in grand jury filings. Adreozzi noted that once other potential victims see that they’re "not alone," perhaps they’ll come forward, too.

Bennett cites experts that say the University will likely be sued via a civil rights action, claiming the administration violated the victims’ 14th amendment right to bodily integrity in failing to warn the correct law enforcement agencies. Using the 14th amendment is a popular cause of action in rape and sexual assault civil suits.

In addition to the victims’ suits, administrators could also be the target of a state action for negligence, alleging that they failed to take reasonable care in light of the claims against Sandusky.

One can be sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg in the legal fallout from the scandal.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this StoryStream. For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Jerry Sandusky Recruiting Story Gets Complicated

The story of Jerry Sandusky potentially having recruited for Penn State last year certainly has taken some strange turns, which John Taylor chronicles here. A South Carolina high school linebacker named Adam Ah Ching claimed that Sandusky visited him at a spring game this year. Ah Ching’s coach, though, says that he is unaware of anyone from Penn State visiting his team’s spring games, and his high school Athletic Director also says Sandusky never visited.

However, the Associated Press reports that Sandusky came to a camp for Polynesian players this summer that Ah Ching attended, and encouraged all the players there to come to Penn State. So it does appear to be the case that Sandusky represented and advocated for Penn State to potential recruits. What’s less clear is what, exactly, happened in Ah Ching’s case. It’s also unclear, at this point, what role, if any, the university had in Sandusky’s recruiting efforts, if there were any. In the absence of further evidence, it’s probably best to just forget it right now.

Mike McQueary Tells Penn State Players He's Done Coaching Them

Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary, who reported seeing Jerry Sandusky raping a young boy in a PSU football locker room shower while McQueary was a graduate assistant in 2002, officially went on administrative leave on Friday. But there may be more, as McQueary has told PSU players he isn’t going to be their coach anymore.

On Friday afternoon, according to two team sources, new receivers coach Terrell Golden gathered his players in a room at the PSU football complex and allowed them to talk with McQueary on a speaker phone.

During a brief and emotional conversation, McQueary told them, “I wanted to let you guys know I’m not your coach anymore. I’m done.”

McQueary also told his players that he was in “protective custody.” That was meant to be a joke, but the players (perhaps understandably) believed it. We’ll be looking out for further updates about McQueary’s status.

For more on the Penn State scandal, continue following this storystream.

New President Rod Erickson Places Mike McQueary On Administrative Leave

The fallout from the sex abuse scandal that’s rocked the Penn State campus this week continues on Friday. Joe Paterno is out, president Graham Spanier is out, and now according to reports, assistant coach Mike McQueary has been placed on administrative leave by newly appointed president Rod Erickson.

There had been grumblings about allowing McQueary to remain on as an assistant coach for the Nittany Lions due to him being a key witness in the sex abuse crimes brought against the embattled Jerry Sandusky. The decision to put McQueary on administrative leave is not entirely surprising though following the university’s decision to not allow him to coach this Saturday in PSU’s game against Nebraska:

Due to multiple threats made against Assistant Coach Mike McQueary, the University has decided it would be in the best interest of all for Assistant Coach McQueary not to be in attendance at Saturday’s Nebraska game.

Whether McQueary is gone for good remains to be seen, but it appears as if that will be the case as the university continues to clean up the mess created by the horrific scandal.

Cal Ripken, Lou Holtz Back Away From Jerry Sandusky Charity

Cal Ripken and Lou Holtz are trying to back away from the Second Mile, the charity that Jerry Sandusky founded and subsequently allegedly use to lure new victims. Ripken had been an “honorary board member” for the Second Mile.

“In the nonprofit world, people end up on an honorary board and sometimes they don’t even know they’re on it,” Steve Salem, president of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, told the Sun. “It doesn’t really mean anything.”

I seriously doubt Ripken had any significant knowledge of the Second Mile, not even regarding its on-the-record business, and Salem is surely right that someone of Ripken’s stature probably serves on all kinds of boards he may only be vaguely aware of. Ripken apparently spoke at a fundraiser for the Second Mile in 2008; Holtz did so they following year.

Other honorary board members include Joe Paterno, Franco Harris, Arnold Palmer, actor Mark Wahlberg and Eagles coach Andy Reid.

Jerry Sandusky Recruited For Penn State This Year

This article about a recruit from South Carolina who’s no longer considering Penn State is pretty interesting – not necessarily because he doesn’t want to deal with the “mess” as Penn State, which is perfectly sensible, but because of who did the recruiting.

Ranked last year by ESPNU as the 26th linebacker prospect in the country, Ah Ching said he was paid a visit by Penn State’s former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky.

"He came to my last spring game going into my senior season. He liked how I moved, laterally, and how gifted I am," said Ah Ching.

That’s right, Jerry Sandusky was recruiting high school kids for Penn State, as recently as this year. This apparently doesn’t violate any NCAA rules, but it sure sounds like more incredibly poor judgment that the program was apparently deliberately placing Sandusky in a position of power over minors while knowing that a grand jury was investigating him for sexually abusing young boys. And, again, as recently as this year. This probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at this point, but my eyes popped open a bit when I read this.

UPDATE: This story appears to be more complicated than was initially reported.

Jerry Sandusky Victim's Mother Steps Forward For Interview

The mother of one of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky’s alleged victims (the boy who is “Victim 1” in the grand jury document) has done an interview with George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America,” which you can watch here. She describes an awful situation in which her son is too embarrassed to tell her directly what Sandusky is doing to him.

“I think it was a lot of embarrassment. He was letting me hints to figure it out, and I did eventually figure it out.”

Later, her son told her he had been confused.

“I had said, ‘You know, maybe we should have come to this conclusion earlier — you should have told me,’” the mother, whose name is being withheld, said she told her son. “He was like, ‘Well, I didn’t know what to do … you just can’t tell Jerry no.’”

Near the end of the interview, she says she wants Sandusky to be “locked up.”

Penn State Scandal: Joey O'Connor First Recruit To Decommit From Penn State

We still have to wait and see how the firing of Joe Paterno and the scandal going on at Penn State will affect the team on Saturday against Nebraska, but it has already started to affect the future performance of the football program. Penn State lost it's first recruit to the scandal on Thursday, a four star offensive lineman from Colorado named Joey O'Connor, according to Sean Fitz of Lions 24/7.

"Earlier this evening I decided to decommit and keep my options open," he said. "Right now, I just wanted to relieve some of this pressure off of me with everything that is going on and concentrate on my senior football season and give my football team the best that I can give them. . .The playing field is wide open right now," he said. "I have not ruled out Penn State. We're just going to take it day by day and figure some things out."

This is obviously not nearly as important as all the other things that are happening at Penn State, but it could be a sign of things to come.

For more on the Nittany Lions, head over to Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Contacts Lawyer, According To Report

MSNBC.com reports that former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno has spoken with a criminal defense lawyer after his departure from PSU for his involvement – or non-involvement – in allegations that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky used the Penn State program to further sexual relationships with young boys.

J. Sedgwick Sollers, who once represented President George H.W. Bush in the Iran-Contra affair, was contacted by Paterno’s advisers on Thursday. But Sollers has not yet met with Paterno, and a formal retainer agreement has not been signed.

Paterno hasn’t been charged with anything, and based on the facts we’ve seen so far, it seems unlikely that he would be, since he met his legal obligation to tell his superiors about a key incident involving Sandusky in a shower in a Penn State locker room in 2002. But criminal charges might not be all that’s on Paterno’s mind:

A source close to Paterno said that in addition to the investigations by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the former coach is concerned about the likelihood of civil lawsuits by Sandusky’s alleged victims and their families.

If that’s a legitimate concern, it sounds like there’s a possibility Paterno could be spending a lot of the next few years in court.

Penn State Scandal: Mike McQueary Will Not Coach Saturday Against Nebraska, According To Statement Issued By PSU

With last night’s firing of head coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier, much of the heat and attention today turned to resolving the status of assistant coach Mike McQueary. In the instant, it was expected that the University would not allow McQueary to coach this Saturday against Nebraska, with a more permanent resolution possibly announced as well. Late Thursday night, PSU issued a statement on McQueary’s status for this Saturday.

Via GoPSUSports.com:

Due to multiple threats made against Assistant Coach Mike McQueary, the University has decided it would be in the best interest of all for Assistant Coach McQueary not to be in attendance at Saturday’s Nebraska game.

An announcement was expected by Friday morning, but the University has still not addressed McQueary’s long term future with Penn State. Earlier Thursday, acting President Rod Erickson intimated that a more permanent decision could be on the horizon.

Via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

When asked if Mr. McQueary was still employed as of Thursday evening, Mr. Erickson replied “as I said, you’ll hear more.”

For now, citing safety concerns, McQueary will not be at Beaver Stadium for the Nittany Lions’ game against Nebraska on Saturday.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation Travels South To San Antonio

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky could face additional child-abuse charges in San Antonio in addition to those he faces in Pennsylvania, according to a new report.

In a statement to 1200 WOAI, Police Sgt. Chris Benaviedes says they can’t stand silent if there are allegations of a crime.

One of Sandusky’s alleged victims reportedly came with him to San Antonio when Penn State played a bowl game there.

Jerry Sandusky is accused of taking “Victim 4” to the 1999 Alamo Bowl. That accuser, now 27, testified he was listed as a member of the Sandusky family party for the 1999 Alamo Bowl.

When the boy resisted his advances, Sandusky threatened to send him home from the Alamo Bowl, the report said.

The investigation is in its preliminary stages, and it’s unclear if anything will come of it, but it sounds like there’s a prosecutor in San Antonio who wants to pursue it. District Attorney Cliff Herberg:

“Obviously, in something like this, when (District Attorney Susan) Reed heard about it, she and the police chief were very concerned about it. We are going to taking what action we can to see if a case can be built.”

We’ll see what happens, but it sounds like it may be a while before the ball gets rolling, if it ever does.

Tom Corbett Press Conference: Governor Advocates Unity At Penn State

Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett stopped by Penn State to give a press conference after everything that’s happened in State College in the past few days. He didn’t have a lot of specifics to offer, and instead made a broad call for unity, asking students and alums to think of the victims of the child abuse that allegedly occurred within PSU’s football program, but to keep their heads high and move forward.

He said Penn State students and alumni could still be proud of their school. “I believe this institution has produced hundreds of thousands of excellent graduates,” he said. “That’s not a failure.”

“Come together,” Corbett repeatedly said, while mentioning the blue-out in Saturday’s game against Nebraska as a good example. “Show solidarity with the victims” rather than turning to violence, he said. He called rioting students “knuckleheads.”

There isn’t much news here, it seems, but when the governor stops by to deal with an issue of this magnitude, it’s certainly worth mentioning.

Governor Tom Corbett To Field Questions About Penn State Scandal

Governor Tom Corbett is expected to field questions from reporters about the Penn State sex scandal that has seen the university’s athletic director, president and revered football coach, Joe Paterno, all be dismissed from their respective roles. There is a live stream of the conference available, and the questions are expected to begin any minute now (it’s currently just a few minutes after 5:00 pm local time).

Corbett will field questions about the whole situation now that he’s spent time meeting with the university’s Board of Trustees, who late Wednesday night decided to terminate Paterno’s job as head coach effective immediately. The decision comes in the wake of Paterno’s potential involvement in covering up or not reporting to law enforcement officials, allegations of sex abuse against minors brought against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

The major developments of the story have unfolded, but the story still has people with more questions than answers. Corbett’s press conference which is now beginning as I type this last paragraph, hopefully will provide some of those answers.

Penn State Reportedly Requests Mike McQueary Stay Off Sidelines Saturday

Out of concern for his safety, the Board of Trustees at Penn State University has asked new Nittany Lions football coach Tom Bradley to keep wide receivers coach Mike McQueary away from the sidelines for Saturday's game against the Nebraska Cournhuskers, report Andrew McGill and Sam Kennedy of the Allentown Morning Call, citing a trustee who requested anonymity. The Board does not plan to fine or discipline McQueary.

The former Penn State quarterback is the eyewitness to former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky allegedly sexually assaulting a child in a Penn State shower facility in 2002, grand jury testimony revealed. McQueary, then a graduate assistant, reported what he saw to coach Joe Paterno. A grand jury indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sexual assault Friday, and as more details about the alleged assaults emerged, calls for the resignation of some Penn State officials grew louder. Wednesday night, the university accepted president Graham Spanier's resignation and dismissed Paterno, who began his coaching career there as an assistant in 1950 and took over as head coach in 1966.

Penn State Scandal: NCAA President Releases Statement

The NCAA has been pretty quiet on the whole NCAA situation, presumably because they don't want to offer any knee-jerk reactions before they have all the facts. But NCAA President Mark Emmert just offered a statement on the Association's website about the investigation.

Regarding the ongoing Penn State criminal investigation, the NCAA is actively monitoring developments and assessing appropriate steps moving forward. The NCAA will defer in the immediate term to law enforcement officials since this situation involved alleged crimes. As the facts are established through the justice system, we will determine whether Association bylaws have been violated and act accordingly. To be clear, civil and criminal law will always take precedence over Association rules.

So the NCAA will wait for the justice system to play this whole situation out before they decide if any penalties should be levied against the University, which means that it could be a very long time before we find out anything on that front.

Penn State Press Conference: Tom Bradley Declines To Answer Some Questions About Joe Paterno

Here are some more notes from interim Penn State head coach Tom Bradley’s conference Thursday morning.

New Penn State head coach Tom Bradley said he would speak to the families of current players Thursday night at 7:30, and would also speak to recruits Thursday night at 8:00.

Bradley said he has received plenty of support from former Penn State players. “I don’t know if you know about Penn State players, but it’s a tight-knit group, a family group.”

He declined to answer specific questions about Joe Paterno, saying that he would get too emotional. “Coach Paterno has meant more to me than anybody except my father,” Bradley said.

Jay Paterno will coach for Penn State on Saturday against Nebraska, Bradley said. He also said that Penn State’s seniors would, in fact, play on Saturday.

Bradley said it had not yet been decided whether Mike McQueary would be on the field or in the press box.

Tom Bradley Press Conference: Mike McQueary To Coach For Penn State Vs. Nebraska

Here are some notes from interim Penn State head coach Tom Bradley's press conference Thursday morning.

“I take this job with very mixed emotions, due to the situation,” Bradley said. He later, however, said, “I have no reservations about taking this job.”

“I grieve for the victims. I grieve for the families … Our thoughts and our prayers are with them,” Bradley said.

Bradley says he called Joe Paterno Wednesday night, but would not say what they talked about.

Bradley noted that Mike McQueary, the witness in the Jerry Sandusky case, would coach for Penn State on Saturday against Nebraska. He also said he is not thinking about dismissing McQueary.

Bradley repeatedly declined to answer any questions about Jerry Sandusky, noting that an investigation against him is ongoing.

He said that, despite the protests Wednesday night in State College, he is not concerned about the safety of his players at the game on Saturday. He does not think the events of the last week will distract them. “It’s a very resilient group,” he said.

Penn State Scandal: Paul Posluszny On Firing Of Joe Paterno

Paul Posluszny is one of the more recognizable faces of the Penn State football team over the past decade, so it was only a matter of time before someone caught up with him and asked for his opinion on the ever-developing Penn State scandal and the firing of Joe Paterno. Brent Martineau of Action News Jacksonville caught up with Posluszny, and he seems as crushed as you would expect him to be.

"My four years there, he was an unbelievable role model," said Posluszny.  "That's part of the reason I went to school there.  Joe Paterno, the legendary coach, the legendary person.  What he did, right or wrong, I don't know.  I wish I had all the information then I could say."

He also spoke about the scandal as a whole.

"When we had the opportunity to be right, to solve a problem - we didn't," said Posluszny on Wednesday.  "It hurts.  This atrocity happened on our campus."

This situation doesn't just affect the students and athletes currently at Penn State, it affects all of the alumni and people associated with the University.

For more on Penn State football, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Tom Bradley Will Hold First Press Conference As Head Coach Thursday

It's been a crazy 24 hours in State College, Pennsylvania and for Penn State fans everywhere. First the news yesterday morning that Joe Paterno planned to retire at the end of the season, then the news late Wednesday night that the University board of trustees had fired him. Lost in all of this is the fact that the Nittany Lions have a very important game this weekend against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They will be coached in that game by longtime defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who will serve as the interim coach for the school.

Bradley appears set to meet with the media for the first time as Penn State football coach on Thursday morning.

Penn State Riot: Video Of Students Overturning News Van

Thousands of students gathered in downtown State College, Pennsylvania on Wednesday night after hearing the news that Joe Paterno had been fired. As those get togethers often do, it became sort of unruly. The biggest victim of the protest was a news van which was flipped and smashed by a group of students. Here is the video of that van being flipped.

There is no word yet on how many, if any, arrests were made during the riots, or the amount of damage that was done to the downtown area or anyone occupying it. We do know that there was a pepper spray like substance, possibly mace, that was used to help disperse the crowd. It seems like this van got the worst of it, however.

We'll have more information on these riots as soon as it comes out, but for more on Penn State football please check out Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Riot: Attorney For Sandusky Victims Claims Board Of Trustees 'Got It Wrong'

The riots in State College, Pennsylvania following the firing of iconic Penn State Football coach Joe Paterno late Wednesday night have become the most recent enduring image of this whole scandal. According to Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News, a lawyer who has been working with Jerry Sandusky's victims feels that the way Paterno was dismissed, and the riots that followed, could reflect poorly on his clients.

"The board of trustees got it wrong. They should have consulted the victims before making a decision on Mr. Paterno," Ben Andreozzi said. "They should have considered these victims watch TV and are aware of the students' reaction and may not want to be associated with the downfall of Mr. Paterno. The school instead elected to do what it felt was in its own best interest at the time. Isn’t that what put the school in this position in the first place?"

He is worried that the firing of Joe Paterno will reflect negatively on them when it was not their decision, or even consulted on the matter. When the time comes that these victims are making statements, if that day ever comes, it will be interesting to see what they have to say on the matter.

Penn State Protest: Students Reportedly Flip News Truck

So much for the protests in State College being peaceful. Multiple reports on Twitter, including one from Sports Illustrated’s David Epstein, indicate that Penn State students have “flipped a satellite news truck.” Yuck. SB Nation’s Ben Jones has that, too. This is exactly the sort of thing that gives college students a bad name, and Penn State doesn’t really need more of this, given that the students are 100 percent wrong in this case, agitating for a man (Joe Paterno) who, though probably not a bad person, allowed an alleged child rapist to stay close to his football program, and did not report the rapist to the police.

Elsewhere it appears that even Paterno himself has had enough of the protesters, yelling at them to keep their distance from his house.

It appears the protest may get worse as the night goes on, as Jones reports there’s a fire at Old Main.

Penn State Protest Seems Relatively Peaceful, But Students Shouldn't Agitate Over Joe Paterno's Departure

I really like Dejan Kovacevic’s comment about what’s going on Wednesday night in State College.

Someday, all these students preparing to wreak havoc on campus here will tell their own kids they took it all out on Sandusky instead.

Yeah, this. Joe Paterno is a legendary coach, and deep down, he’s probably not a bad person. But he’s not the victim here. He did not report Jerry Sandusky – a man he had strong reason to believe was a pedophile who used Penn State’s football facilities to abuse at least one child – to the police. He also continued to allow Sandusky to be around Penn State’s football facilities long after a graduate assistant alleged that Sandusky raped a child in the showers of a Penn State football locker room. The charitable explanation is that Paterno, due to advancing age or for some other reason, didn’t really appreciate what was allegedly going on. But it appears Sandusky was using Paterno’s football program to do terrible, terrible things, and in the end, the university made the only decision it reasonably could have.

It looks like the so-called “Penn State Riot” so far has been relatively uneventful. (The Daily Collegian Twitter account has, as we approach midnight Thursday, mostly been a series of tweets from out and about in State College that describe absolutely nothing of consequence.) We’ll see if that continues through the night, but so far, that appears to be to the students’ credit. But their entire reason for protesting is a poor one. Paterno is a great coach who has meant a great deal to the university, but children were allegedly abused here. He left the university no choice.

Penn State Students Gather In Huge Numbers

Penn State Press Conference: Media Reacts To Journalists' Bad Behavior

Here are some reactions from around Twitter to the Penn State Board Of Trustees’ press conference, in which reporters demonstrated an appalling lack of objectivity, throwing around angry questions that made clear they were very much in head coach Joe Paterno’s corner, despite the events of the past few days and despite the fact that they’re supposed to, you know, be objective.

Chris Mueller:

Penn State students and these people in the presser are abhorrent. What a travesty.

Seth Rorabaugh:

The Sting-Hogan presser for their contract signing prior to Starcade 97 had more objective questions than this.

Pete Thamel of the New York Times:

Surma has handled a difficult situation with aplomb here. The manic nature of the questions is unusual and he’s stayed calm.

Rorabaugh again:

PSU keeps finding ways to embarrass itself. That presser was a debacle on so many levels.

Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times:

Those at Penn State presser were turning Paterno into a victim. Hideous. They forgot the real victims.

Who Is Tom Bradley, Penn State's New Coach?

Following the ouster of Joe Paterno as head coach at Penn State, effective immediately, assistant coach Tom Bradley will take over on an interim basis. Bradley is no stranger to the university, having served as Paterno's defensive coordinator since 1980. The Penn State graduate played defensive back for Paterno from 1975-79.

Under Bradley, the Nittany Lions produced eight consensus All-Americans on defense: LaVar Arrington, Courtney Brown, Shane Conlan, Dan Connor, Tamba Hali, Aaron Maybin, Paul Posluszny, and Brandon Short. He's frequently mentioned among top head-coaching candidates whenever a vacancy appears, but has been releuctant to leave Penn State due to his strong ties there. In Jan. 2011, SB Nation Pittsburgh contributor Anson Whaley argued the Pittsburgh Panthers ought to hire Bradley to replace Mike Haywood. Whaley touted Bradley's reputation as an excellent developer of talent and recruiter.

Bradley has a tough task ahead of him. Replacing an icon like Paterno, the all-time victories leader among FBS coaches, is difficult under any circumstances, but especially these, as Paterno departed abruptly, unceremoniously, and three days before a crucial Big Ten contest. The No. 12 Nittany Lions host the No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers this Saturday, Nov. 12.

For complete coverage of the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries.

Graham Spanier Issues Farewell Statement

Now-former Penn State president Graham Spanier has issued a statement on the eve of his dismissal from his post following a child sex abuse scandal that has engulfed the Penn State football program.

Spanier sounds a note of regret for the children Jerry Sandusky allegedly abused:

I am heartbroken to think that any child may have been hurt and have deep convictions about the need to protect children and youth. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those who may have been victimized. I would never hesitate to report a crime if I had any suspicion that one had been committed.

He also says that the actions and inaction of (what is hopefully only) a handful of Penn State employees should not define the university as a whole.

The acts of no one person should define this university. Penn State is defined by the traditions, loyalty and integrity of hundreds of thousands of students, alumni and employees.

That’s a good point, and it’s tough not to feel for Penn State’s students and alumni right now. This story will likely define the university for a long time, and it is a big story, but it’s not the whole of what Penn State is.

Penn State Press Conference: John Surma Fields Angry Questions About Joe Paterno's Firing

Here are some more notes from Wednesday night’s press conference. The Penn State Board Of Trustees’ decision to immediately dismiss head coach Joe Paterno and president Graham Spanier was unanimous, John Surma says. Spanier will evidently receive a financial settlement.

“We thought that because of difficulties engulfing our university. .. we felt it was necessary to make a change a leadership and set a new course,” Surma said.

Surma says he does not know if the university will still be paying the legal fees of Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, who are accused of perjury and of failing to report allegations of child abuse against Jerry Sandusky.

As I mentioned in my last post, a number of these journalists sound downright agitated – like angry students, not like journalists. It’s incredible, really. Many are asking pointed, and obviously-angry, questions, about Joe Paterno’s legacy with Penn State and about, for example, whether the Board of Trustees has been “gunning” for him for years – as if anyone who isn’t connected to Penn State would possibly see these events that way. Pointed questions are fine, clearly, but this press conference is heading into the realm of the bizarre, as if Surma were answering questions from season-ticket holders rather than journalists.

You can watch live footage of the press conference here.

Penn State Scandal: President Graham Spanier Resigns

Penn State University's Board of Trustees has accepted the resignation of Graham Spanier, ending his 16-year tenure as University President, the Board announced in a Wednesday evening press conference.

Spanier has come under fire in recent days for his handling of the sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. In a written statement, Spanier publicly expressed his "unconditional support" for Timothy Curley and Gary Schultz, two school officials who were charged with perjury and for not reporting to the police a 2002 eyewitness allegation of Sandusky raping a boy in a Penn State locker room.

"Tim Curley and Gary Schultz operate at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and compassion," Spanier said. "I am confident the record will show that these charges are groundless and that they conducted themselves professionally and appropriately."

Prior to joining Penn State, Spanier served in administrative positions at Nebraska, Oregon State, and SUNY Stony Brook.

Joe Paterno Fired, Board Of Trustees Confirm; Graham Spanier Out Immediately As Well

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and president Graham Spanier have been both been dismissed effective now, the PSU Board Of Trustees announced at a press conference Wednesday night. Tom Bradley will be the interim head coach. Rodney Erickson will be interim president of Penn State.

The board says the specifics of the child abuse allegedly committed by Jerry Sandusky have yet to be determined, and are not really the point. Rather, the board’s goal was to move forward swiftly and decisively to take the university in the right direction and act in the “long-term interest of the university, which is much larger” than the football program.

“We believe we did the best job we could,” said John Surma, VP of the board. Surma keeps emphasizing that the board doesn’t have access to much more information than the public does, and certainly doesn’t have complete information, but feels that there is enough to make a judgement regarding Paterno and Spanier.

A number of the journalists asking questions to Surma sound downright angry. I can only imagine how a lot of the students feel.

We’ll have more on the press conference as the evening goes on.

Joe Paterno Fired As Penn State Football Coach, According To Report

Penn State University will fire head football coach Joe Paterno, reports Jim Gardner of Action News 6. His ouster comes less than two weeks after he picked up his 409th career coaching victory, which made him the winningest coach in FBS history.

Paterno's dismissal is a result of the sex scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, who served as an assistant coach to Paterno for 30 years. Following a two-year investigation, Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of sexual assault on children, and it was reported Paterno knew of at least one alleged encounter but failed to notify the police.

Investigators concluded Paterno fulfilled his legal obligation by reporting the allegation to his superiors, but not his moral one to involve the authorities.

Assistant coach Tom Bradley will take over for Paterno on an interim basis, reports Gardner. Bradley played for Paterno from 1975-79 and has served has his defensive coordinator since 1980. The No. 12 Nittany Lions take the field Saturday, Nov. 12, against the No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game with huge implications for the Big Ten bowl picture.

For complete coverage of the Nittany Lions, please visit Black Shoe Diaries.

Department Of Education To Investigate Penn State Scandal

The Penn State scandal became more complicated Wednesday evening when the Department of Education announced its intent to investigate the university for its handling of allegations that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted children. Specifically, the investigation will address the university's compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or the Cleary Act for short.

According to the Cleary Act, "colleges and universities are required to disclose the number of criminal offenses on campus that are reported each year," the Department of Education's news release states. Further, "the institution must issue a timely warning if a reported crime represents a threat to the campus community" in certain instances.

Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education in President Barack Obama's cabinet, commented directly on the Sandusky investigation:

"If these allegations of sexual abuse are true then this is a horrible tragedy for those young boys. If it turns out that some people at the school knew of the abuse and did nothing or covered it up, that makes it even worse. Schools and school officials have a legal and moral responsibility to protect children and young people from violence and abuse."

Sandusky, an assistant football coach under Joe Paterno from 1969-1999, was indicted Friday on 40 counts of sexually abusing children. In 2002, an eyewitness came forward and alleged he saw Sandusky rape a child in a Penn State locker room facilty. Two university officials, who've since resigned, are charged with perjury as part of their attempts to cover up the scandal. In addition, university president Graham Spanier has reportedly tendered his resignation, while Paterno announced he plans to retire at season's end.

Penn State Scandal: Graham Spanier Out As President, According To Report

Nate Bauer is reporting that Graham Spanier is semi-officially out as president of Penn State.

According to a source, Graham Spanier has submitted his resignation. Announcement should come after BOT meeting tonight.

This isn’t much of a surprise, obviously. There didn’t seem to be any way Spanier would last the week.

That would put Dr. Rodney Erickson in line to become Penn State’s new president, although it’s unclear whether that would be temporary or permanent. Erickson is currently Penn State’s Executive Vice President and Provost. He has had no connection to the scandal.

We’ll wait to see if we hear this for sure tonight. Spanier hitched his wagon to Tim Curley and Gary Schultz (whose names now seem almost forgotten after three straight days of media hubbub surrounding Spanier and especially Joe Paterno), and he’s not going to be able to get it un-hitched, so Penn State has little choice but to get rid of him along with the others. Hopefully Erickson – if in fact he does wind up in charge – will be able to restore order.

Penn State Scandal: Westboro Baptist Church To Demonstrate

Just when you thought the scene at Penn State couldn’t get any weirder, the Westboro Baptist Church – yes, that utterly crazy Kansas church we’ve all gotten annoyed with – has announced that it will demonstrate on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The demonstration will take place from 10:00 to noon, and the Nittany Lions will host Nebraska at noon, so what already would have been a madhouse is about to get madder.

Church members have scheduled a demonstration from 10 a.m. to noon in response to allegations that former football coach Jerry Sandusky abused eight boys over 15 years and questions over whether the university mishandled a 2002 report of a sexual assault by Sandusky on the University Park campus.

It’s hard to guess what distinctly wacky angle the church will take on this, although surely it will have something to do with homosexuality (which, obviously, isn’t what the scandal is really about).

The comments section to the Centre Daily Times article linked above suggests that Nittany Lions fans won’t be too happy about the church’s presence. Some comments are even threatening. In any case, there can be little doubt that their presence can only make things worse.

Via Emptynetters.

Penn State Scandal Will Cost President Graham Spanier His Job By Wednesday, According To Report

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno isn't the only person connected to the Jerry Sandusky investigation whose tenure at the university is ending: university president Graham Spanier will either resign or be voted out by day's end on Wednesday, reports The Express-Times, citing "a source close to the board of trustees." Rodney A. Erickson, the university's Executive Vice President and Provost, is expected to replace Spanier on an interim basis, according to the newspaper.

Spanier drew ire around the country when grand jury testimony revealed he was made aware in 2002 that an eyewitness reported Sandusky, the Penn State assistant coach for over 30 years who had since retired, sexually assaulted a child in the Penn State locker room, but did not notify the police. Though not charged with a crime, Spanier has nonetheless seen his reputation suffer, likely irreparably, in light of the news. That he's publicly expressed his support for two administrators charged with covering up Sandusky's behavior--and not for the victims of Sandusky's alleged crimes--further hurt his image.

Following a two-year investigation, Sandusky was indicted on 40 counts of child sexual assault Friday. Eight victims have alleged he assaulted them between 1995 and 2002. Sandusky is said to have met many of the victims through The Second Mile, a children's charity he founded in 1977.

Joe Paterno Retirement: Penn State Players Called To Mandatory Meeting

Joe Paterno just issued a statement confirming that he will retire at the end of the season, and now it seems like he is prepared to break that news to the team.

This will obviously be a very difficult meeting for the coach to conduct, and I'm sure the players are not looking forward to attending.

Joe Paterno Issues Statement Confirming He Will Retire At End Of Season

It's official, Joe Paterno will retire at the end of the Penn State Football team. We started receiving reports to that end earlier today, but now we get word directly from coach Paterno himself. He just released a statement and it says exactly what we expected. Here is the full statement, courtesy of SB Nation. 

I am absolutely devastated by the developments in this case. I grieve for the children and their families, and I pray for their comfort and relief.

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.

That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can. This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.

Peterno has not yet met with the Board of Trustees, so there is no guarantee he will even be allowed to finish out the season. It is also interesting that Paterno says he wishes he had done more, which is not a good sign for the others involved in this scandal. But the writing is on the wall, and if we haven't already seen the last game Joe Paterno will coach at Penn State, it will be coming very soon.

Decision To Retire Was Reportedly Made By Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno reportedly decided to retire after the end of the Penn State football season this morning, and we are expecting a statement from the coach shortly. But speculation will emerge that Paterno was sort of forced out of the position by the board of trustees and that he wasn't completely able to decide his own fate. That may not be the case. The decision to retire was reportedly Joe Paterno's alone, and he did not even talk to the board of trustees.

That's all well and good, but if he didn't decide to retire, he might have had a very unpleasant conversation with the board of trustees.

Scott Paterno Confirms Father Joe Will Retire At End Of Season

Reports emerged within the last hour that Joe Paterno would retire at the end of this Penn State Football season. That report has now been confirmed by his son Scott, according to Sara Ganim.

This is a sad day for Penn State Football, and I would expect to hear some sort of official announcement from either coach Paterno or the school at some point today. We'll have continuing coverage of this story as it develops, but head over to Black Shoe Diaries for more reaction from Penn State fans.

Joe Paterno To Retire At End Of Penn State Football Season, According To Report

Joe Paterno had to cancel his press conference yesterday afternoon, and right after that, rumors starting to fly about his future at Penn State. Well, it looks like that decision has been made, and it turns out that Coach Paterno was the one to make it. He will reportedly retire after the end of the Penn State football season.

It's incredibly sad that such an illustrious career has to end under these circumstances. For so long Joe Paterno stuck around because he wanted to leave on his own terms, now it seems like he is going to have to leave for other reasons.

Penn State Scandal: Tom Ridge Could Replace Graham Spanier, According To Report

Former Pennsylvania governor and Homeland Security director Tom Ridge could reportedly replace Graham Spanier as Penn State’s president in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

ESPN is reporting that a source close to “the situation” at the university said the board of trustees is weighing a possible replacement for president Graham Spanier, who has lost support since the scandal broke Saturday involving at least eight sex abuse allegations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The source said that the board is “weighing the possibility” of having Ridge replace Spanier.

Ridge has no close connection to Penn State at the present time, which is probably a good thing, at least as far as PSU’s national reputation is concerned. Bringing in a decorated outside party like Ridge would make it look like Penn State was trying to move past the scandal.

In any case, we should know more later on Wednesday, since the Board Of Trustees is scheduled to meet. It’s doubtful we’ll hear anything about Ridge right away, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to hear that Spanier is departing.

Penn State Scandal: Trustees To Meet Wednesday Morning To Discuss Graham Spanier, Joe Paterno

The Penn State Board Of Trustees had originally been scheduled to have its next meeting on Friday, but it now appears it will meet Wednesday morning to discuss Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, Kevin McGuire reports.

In the meeting it is expected that the future of Penn State president Graham Spanier as well as the future of football coach Joe Paterno will be reviewed. ESPN had mentioned Wednesday through various outlets that former Pennsylvania Governor and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is a possibility to replace Spanier as the university president.

It now looks like the board, normally a “rubber stamp” for Spanier, is poised to take serious action, perhaps by replacing Spanier. That the board is reportedly meeting Wednesday isn’t good news for Paterno, either. McGuire notes that there is the possibility Paterno could be removed right away, or that he might be allowed to coach through the end of the season.

Video: Joe Paterno Talks To Crowd At His House

Joe Paterno Addresses Student Crowd, Leads Penn State Cheers

The most surreal scene in a day full of them may have taken place when Joe Paterno addressed the throngs of chanting students who had assembled on his lawn awaiting his return from practice. The pictures of Paterno, holding back tears and addressing the students from his living room window have been widely circulated.

Paterno took a brief moment to remind the enthusiastic crowds of the victims, stating, "I want to say to the kids who were the victims, or whatever they want to say, I think we ought to say a prayer for them because they were ... tough life, when people do certain things to you, but anyway, you've been great."

Video of the scene continues to come out. Amazingly, the video below shows Paterno leading the exuberant and supportive students in "We Are Penn State" chants.

Paterno addressing the students and fans (via TDCFootball):

Continue to stay with this StoryStream as the scene unfolds in State College.

Penn State Board Of Trustees Issues Statement On Jerry Sandusky Investigation

While Tuesday unfolded as one of the most tumultuous and surreal days ever witnessed on a college campus, the Penn State President Graham Spanier and the Board of Trustees remained noticeably silent. The Board, however, held a conference call Tuesday night to further discuss the administrative actions to be taken stemming from the Sandusky scandal. The Board issued a statement, claiming they were “outraged” and would take “swift, decisive action.”

The Board of Trustees of The Pennsylvania State University is outraged by the horrifying details contained in the Grand Jury Report. As parents, alumni and members of the Penn State Community, our hearts go out to all of those impacted by these terrible events, especially the tragedies involving children and their families. We cannot begin to express the combination of sorrow and anger that we feel about the allegations surrounding Jerry Sandusky. We hear those of you who feel betrayed and we want to assure all of you that the Board will take swift, decisive action.

The BOT also indicated that they will appoint a Special Committee on Friday to fully investigate, without restriction, all aspects of the scandal and determine who is responsible. The report of that investigation will be given at a future public session of the BOT.

Joe Paterno Holds Back Tears As Students Rally Around Legendary Coach's House Tuesday Evening

As expected, Penn State students converged upon the house of Joe Paterno Tuesday night in a show of support for the legendary football coach. According to the deluge of reports that continue to be filed since news broke last Friday of the 40 counts of sex crimes against minors brought against Jerry Sandusky, Paterno may be on his way out due to alleged involvement in covering up the allegations brought against Sandusky who coached under Paterno for 30 years.

According to Ben Jones of StateCollege.com, Paterno acknowledged the throngs of students outside his house by coming to the window and delivering this short, sweet and depending on your outlook, cryptic message:

“No matter what happens to some people I’m proud of you.”

Jones also shared a picture of Paterno at his window either right before or after delivering that message to his supporters.

Jones then tweeted that students were belting out the school’s alma mater lyrics:

Penn State students screaming the lyrics to the Alma Mater “May no act of ours bring shame.”

Obviously the university is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, but as humiliating as the sordid story is, credit the students for their solidarity and display of school pride. Paterno sure sounds like he appreciates the unwavering support.

Joe Paterno's Support On Penn State Board 'Eroding,' According To Report

The New York Times on Tuesday reported that Joe Paterno would lose his job in the wake of the scandal that’s currently consuming the Penn State football program and the university as a whole. That hasn’t come to pass yet, but whether or not it’s a done deal like the Times report suggested, it probably eventually will be. The Associated Press reports that support for Paterno and Penn State president Graham Spanier is “eroding” on the PSU Board of Trustees.

A person familiar with the trustees’ discussions and who used the term “eroding” said it was unclear what the consequences for Paterno will be and that a decision could be rendered before the board meets on Friday.

Penn State President Graham Spanier has also lost support among the Board of Trustees, the person said, but again, how much was unclear.

It’s hard to imagine how Spanier will survive this, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to figure out how Paterno will be able to do more than finish out the year, if that. He doesn’t appear to have committed any crime, but he appears to be guilty of failing to do more than tell his superiors after then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary reported to Paterno that former coach Jerry Sandusky had committed a sex act with a young boy in a shower in a Penn State football locker room. Paterno’s value to the university as a figurehead has been dramatically reduced, perhaps irreversibly so.

Penn State Scandal: State Senator Says Graham Spanier Should Go

Pennsylvania state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi says Penn State president Graham Spanier should be dismissed if he can’t adequately explain why Penn State officials like Tim Curley and Gary Schultz didn’t report allegations of child sexual abuse by former PSU football coach Jerry Sandusky to the police.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said Tuesday that serious questions need to be answered, and there should be a change in Penn State’s leadership if there are no good and fast answers.

This really is just grandstanding on Pileggi’s part, since he has no real authority to decide whether or not Spanier keeps his job. (That authority belongs to the Penn State Board of Trustees.) Obviously, though, it’s hard to disagree. Penn State is currently snared in one of the worst scandals, or perhaps the worst scandal, in the history of college sports, and one of Spanier’s first actions when the news broke about Curley and Schultz’s failure to report Sandusky’s alleged abuses was to offer his support for both Curley and Schultz.

Penn State Students To Show Joe Paterno Support With Tuesday Evening Pep Rally

The fallout from the indictments brought against Jerry Sandusky continues on Tuesday. Joe Paterno’s scheduled morning press conference was canceled in the wake of the allegations that the former assistant coach had committed sex crimes against eight minors, all boys, spanning ten years.

Sandusky was officially indicted last Friday on 40 counts of child sexual abuse. His hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was pushed back to December 7th according to Tuesday reports. The coach responsible for transforming Penn State into ‘Linebacker U’, retired in 1999 after 30 years with the program.

For the time being, at least, head coach Joe Paterno has not had his name involved in the scandal, although he apparently knew about at least one of Sandusky's alleged crimes dating back to 2002, and yet Sandusky continued to have access to Penn State' football facilities. Meanwhile, Athletic Director Tim Curley and administrator Gary Schultz were both dismissed from their positions after being charged with perjury for failing to report alleged abuse to the police.

While we wait for this sordid story to continue unfolding, students at Happy Valley have planned a Tuesday night pep rally at Joe Paterno’s house, according to Ben Jones of StateCollege.com. According to Jones, the rally is intended to be a show of support for Paterno, but there is concern that the situation might get out of hand due to the sensitive nature of the scandal and the sheer volume of students that could potentially participate in the event.

For more updates on this unfortunate story, stay tuned here at SB Nation Pittsburgh and at SB Nation’s Penn State blog, Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Scandal: Jerry Sandusky Hearing Reportedly Delayed Until Dec. 7

A preliminary hearing on Jerry Sandusky's child sex charges has been delayed until Dec. 7, reports Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News; the hearing was originally scheduled for Wednesday. The former Penn State assistant football coach, who retired in 1999 after 30 years with the program, was indicted Friday on 40 counts of child sexual abuse.

Eight accusers, who were all boys at the time of their alleged encounters with Sandusky, came forward during a two-year investigation. The charges "span 10 years" and "range from inappropriate showers to oral sex," reports Ganim.

The scandal has garnered national attention after word surfaced that university officials, including legendary football head coach Joe Paterno, may not have acted appropriately when one accuser came forward in 2002. Athletic director Tim Curley and administrator Gary Schultz were charged with perjury for failing to report alleged abuse to the police.

For more coverage of this story, please stay tuned to this story on SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Video: Amid Penn State Scandal, Joe Paterno Leaves House For Football Practice

Penn State Scandal Leads To Diploma Burning Among Former Graduates

The Penn State scandal has angered people around the country, and those close enough to University Park to express their displeasure have taken to doing so. Ian Kenney, the drum major of the Penn State Blue Band, tweeted a photo of people gathering outside coach Joe Paterno's home, which is not on the university grounds:

Elsewhere, Ben Jones of Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog, reports that some Penn State graduates have taken to burning their diplomas outside Old Main, an iconic, 158-year-old building on campus. On The Pitt Stop, SB Nation Pittsburgh editor Charlie Wilmoth posted a photo of one 1975 grad burning his diploma.

These folks' outrage stems from allegations that former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused children, and that the university--including coach Paterno--did not act appropriately when they learned of the allegations. Friday, a grand jury indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sexual abuse.

For more on the scandal and the investigation into Sandusky, please follow this StoryStream on SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Image: Diploma Burning At Penn State

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno To Have Off-Campus Press Conference, Son Says

Less than an hour before Joe Paterno's weekly news conference was scheduled to start, Penn State canceled it, citing "the on-going legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges." The investigation and subsequent indictment of former Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for child sexual abuse is to blame.

Penn State didn't want Paterno to speak, but he's going to do just that anyway, it appears. As first reported by Ben Jones of Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog, Paterno's son Scott "is working on setting up an off-campus press conference for Paterno to speak at." Scott Paterno told the media earlier Tuesday the University's cancelation of his father's news conference disappointed the elder Paterno, and that the coach was prepared to address Saturday's game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers as well as the allegations against Sandusky.

Penn State, currently ranked No. 12 in the nation, hosts No. 19 Nebraska on Saturday. Understandably, that game, which has huge implications for the Big Ten, has taken on lesser importance in the wake of the allegations against Sandusky. Further, Jones reports Scott Paterno said his father will coach against Nebraska and "is not stepping down."

Between the off-campus news conference and the statement that Joe Paterno will not leave Penn State, it certainly appears as though the Paternos are digging in.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno's Son Says He Hasn't Heard About Father's Departure

For whatever it’s worth, Joe Paterno’s son Scott denies the New York Times’ report that his father is on his way out at Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State.

NYT report premature. No discussions about retirement with JVP.

The Times did not, as far as I can tell, report that Penn State had discussed Paterno’s exit with Paterno, only that officials at Penn State were discussing the best way of going about the business of having Paterno leave. The fact that neither Joe Paterno nor his son have any direct information about it at this point doesn’t mean a whole lot. Scott Paterno’s tweet is getting passed around Twitter now, but I’m not sure there’s actually anything in it to contradict the New York Times’ report, and if you thought Joe Paterno was on his way out before, you should probably still think so now.

Stay tuned to this storystream for more on the Jerry Sandusky investigation.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: New Victim Reportedly Comes Forward

A man alleging former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused him over a decade came forward Sunday after seeing news reports about other allegations against Sandusky, according to the Associated Press. The man, whose name and other identifying details the police have declined to release, "is in his 20s, knew Sandusky from The Second Mile charity and had never told his parents or authorities about the alleged encounters from about a decade ago," the new report says. Officers in Rockview are investigating this man's claims against Sandusky.

Sandusky founded The Second Mile, in 1977. According to its Web site, the Second Mile "is a statewide, nonprofit organization for children who need additional support and who would benefit from positive human contact."

Following a two-year investigation, a grand jury indicted Sandusky, who served Joe Paterno as an assistant coach from 1969 to his retirement in 1999, on 40 charges of sexual abuse against minors. The indictment lists the offenses as occurring in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2005.

Joe Paterno To Lose Job In Wake Of Penn State Scandal, According To Report

The Penn State scandal will soon cost Joe Paterno his job as coach of the university's football team, report Mark Viera and Pete Thamel of the New York Times, citing "two people briefed on conversations among the university’s top officials." According to the report, Penn State's board of trustees has already decided to dismiss Paterno, but "has yet to determine the precise timing of Paterno’s exit."

Paterno took over the Nittany Lions football program in 1966 and has won 409 games, the most in FBS history. However, the investigation of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky for allegations of child sexual abuse on Penn State property will cost the legendary Paterno his job.

Perhaps the most damning news to come from the investigation, at least as it concerns Paterno, is that he learned of one sexual abuse allegation in 2002, but did not notify the police of it. Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year span.

Stay tuned to this StoryStream on SB Nation Pittsburgh for more news on this story as it develops.

Joe Paterno Press Conference Cancelled, Penn State Issues Statement On Matter

BEAVER STADIUM -- After over 100 media had gathered outside the south endzone entrance of Beaver Stadium, Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson announced that coach Joe Paterno's weekly press conference has been canceled. Media members were told the stadium press room would open at 11:00 a.m., but the line was still waiting to get inside at 11:45 when Nelson read the following statement:

"Due to the on-going legal circumstances centered around the recent allegations and charges, we have determined that today's press conference cannot be held and will not be re-scheduled."

That's it.

At the moment, media members remained gathered outside the entrance. Many have dispersed but some remain.

At this time, there are no other scheduled press events related to the sexual abuse charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and the perjury charges against former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president for business and finance Gary Schultz.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Penn State Cancels Weekly Joe Paterno Press Conference

Joe Paterno was scheduled to appear before the media, as he always does on Tuesdays, at 12:30, but according to Sara Ganim, the Press Conference has been canceled.

Penn State had already said that the focus of the Press Conference would solely be the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but that obviously would not have been the case. It seems like the University just does not need Joe Paterno to be out in front of the press when they still have so many things to take care of on their end.

Jerry Sandusky's Son Takes Leave Of Absence From Cleveland Browns In Wake Of Penn State Scandal

Jon Sandusky, the son of Jerry Sandusky and an assistant to Cleveland Browns GM Tom Heckert, is taking a leave of absence days after his father was accused of a number of acts of child sexual abuse.

Sandusky played safety for Penn State from 1996-99 during the time the alleged incidents involving his father occurred. After graduating with a degree in exercise science, Sandusky spent a year as a coaching intern for the Nittany Lions in 2000.

It must be awful for Jon Sandusky to suspect that his father was using Penn State facilities to do awful things to children while the younger Sandusky was still a player there. Jon Sandusky is apparently “just completely devastated” by the news.

Jon Sandusky was not available for comment and hopes his privacy will be respected, a Browns spokesman said. Jon Sandusky is in his second year with the Browns after spending nine seasons on the personnel staff of the Philadelphia Eagles.

When asked if he has had a chance to talk to Jon Sandusky, Shurmur declined to comment.

“That’s a totally personal deal,” Shurmur said. “I don’t know the details of any of that. I’m going to sit that one out.”

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Where To Watch Joe Paterno's Weekly Press Conference

Joe Paterno hosts a weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoons at around 12:30 PM. Typically the subject is the Nittany Lions' upcoming opponent, but this week you have to imagine the Jerry Sandusky investigation will be the thing he is asked about the most. According to SB Nation, Penn State has informed the people in attendance that the focus will be solely on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but I don't think that will be the case.

If you live in the area, Comcast Sports Net will be carrying it live, and ESPN will stream it on Sportscenter if you live anywhere else. If you're stuck at the office, the Penn State athletic page will be streaming it live - just head to this link and look under "live events." You can also find a live stream via the Examiner.

Streaming video by Ustream If you have to miss the Conference entirely, we'll have updates right after here in this StoryStream. But you can also check out Black Shoe Diaries for more on the Press Conference and everything else Penn State football.

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Should Be Fired, Newspaper Argues

In his latest column, Dale Lolley of the Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter calls for Joe Paterno to be fired for his role in not reporting the alleged rape of a child by Jerry Sandusky in a Penn State locker room.

No call was made by any of those in charge at Penn State to law enforcement agencies or a child protective agency, which is required by state law …

What’s worse, there are allegations against Sandusky dating back to 1994, when he was still employed as an assistant coach under Paterno. Sandusky remained a Penn State employee until his retirement in 1999 …

Jim Tressel was forced out as coach by Ohio State for reportedly covering up far less than this. His offense was lying to the NCAA about players trading memorabilia for tattoos and other favors.

Expect to see lots and lots of these kinds of calls in the coming days. Spencer Hall of SBNation.com issued one on Monday:

And yet no one said anything. If everyone at Penn State is okay with this, then the heads stop rolling here. If you’re not, then you demand the resignations of everyone involved. This includes Joe Paterno, who knew, but then abandoned his moral responsibility to the cold dictates of the org chart.

It’s been an ugly week for Penn State, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the ugliness continues until Paterno leaves.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Mothers Of Alleged Victims Express Feelings Of Betrayal

New details of the Jerry Sandusky investigation continue to pour in, and the latest is among the most disheartening. Sara Ganim of the Patriot News caught up with some of the mothers of the alleged victims, and it seems like the way the accused are handling the whole situation makes them feel like the whole thing is just happening all over again.

“I’m so upset,” said the mom of the 24-year-old, who authorities are calling Victim Six. “My son is extremely distraught, and now to see how we were betrayed, words cannot tell you. To see that Graham Spanier is putting his unconditional support behind Curley and Shultz when he should be putting his support behind the victims, it just makes them victims all over again.”

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Joe Paterno, Graham Spanier Should Depart, Says Harrisburg Patriot-News

The Harrisburg Patriot-News calls for the departures of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and president Graham Spanier on the front page of its Tuesday edition, which you can check out here. While the newspaper notes that Paterno and Spanier’s behavior was legal, it attacks Paterno for not taking what he knew to the police and for not showing any particular concern for the child Jerry Sandusky allegedly raped in the shower of a Penn State locker room in 2002. Meanwhile, Sandusky continued to be a presence on campus and in the Penn State football program.

Given Paterno’s “lifetime of achievement,” the Patriot-News feels that he should be allowed to finish the year as coach. That seems like an odd conclusion based on the rest of the article (which calls for Spanier’s immediate departure even though Spanier would have been less intimately involved in the Sandusky scandal than Paterno was), but there you go.

Via David Todd.

Penn State Press Release Says Joe Paterno Press Conference Will Only Address Nebraska Game, Not Jerry Sandusky

While the Jerry Sandusky indictment continues to embroil the Penn State administration, many in the media were looking to Joe Paterno's Tuesday press conference with great anticipation, hoping the head coach would provide answers to the many questions that have come up over the past two days and put Paterno under the most intense scrutiny. On Monday night, however, Penn State issued a press release stating that media planning to attend should be advised that the primary focus of the weekly presser is to answer questions related to Penn State's Senior Day game with Nebraska.

PSU indicated that Paterno will only focus on the Nebraska game and the current season. Many in the national media promptly responded to the release with derisive and sarcastic tweets - such as "good luck with that" and "nice try." Locally, Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror responded to the release:

No surprise. Paterno wants to keep burying his head in the sand and hope this all goes away. So he will try to stiff-arm the media...And hope everyone in the room just lets it go without asking tough questions. But it's our job to ask the questions, and we will ask.

The release only calls further attention to the topic on the media's mind, and the topic they will come prepared to ask Paterno about, whether it's the intended "focus" or not.

For latest on this story, continue to follow this StoryStream.

Penn State Paying Tim Curley While On Leave, Will Not Pay Jerry Sandusky's Legal Bills

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers confirmed on Monday night that athletic director Tim Curley is being paid while on administrative leave as he faces criminal charges stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Curley has been charged with perjury and failure to report, but both he and Gary Schultz, through their attorneys, maintained their innocence on Monday at their arraignment.

In addition to the paid leave for Curley, Schultz will continue to receive retirement compensation which kicked in after his retirement in 2009. While it was reported over the weekend that PSU will cover the legal bills of both Schultz and Curley, Powers went out of her way to note that the university will not cover any legal bills for Sandusky.

Via Adam Smeltz of StateCollege.com:

Penn State reported over the weekend that it's paying Schultz's and Curley's legal bills, as the allegations against them concern how they acted as university employees. However, Powers noted Monday, the university is not paying Sandusky's legal bills.

For latest on this story, continue to follow this StoryStream.

LaVar Arrington Reiterates That If Charges Are True, Jerry Sandusky Should Be Prosecuted

As I type this, former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington is talking about the Jerry Sandusky scandal at 106.7 The Fan DC. Mike Prada of SB Nation DC is transcribing the interview. It sounds like a tough situation for Arrington, but he thinks that if the allegations against Sandusky, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz are true, then they ought to be prosecuted. He said something similar in a blog post this weekend. But here are some excerpts from his radio interview.

If it does comes out that this is true – because I don’t know what’s true or what’s not true – I only hope that whatever is true and whatever comes out to be true is handled in the best way possible …

If I have to measure it out, those children will always outweigh the other.

This may sound obvious to someone who isn’t close to the situation, but Arrington had a close relationship with Sandusky.

When I heard these allegations, it totally took me off court. when i say ‘totally,’ i was moved to tears. I looked at my children. I looked back at all the moments I had at psu and with [Sandusky] and just thinking to myself how hard I worked to please him and how hard I worked to please Joe [Paterno]. how hard we worked to please these guys, and then something like this happened.

Penn State Recruiting Target Noah Spence Comments On Twitter

Since news of sexual abuse charges against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and perjury charges against former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president for business and finance Gary Schultz broke over the weekend, many have speculated about what type of hit the Nittany Lions will take on the recruiting trail as a result.

Penn State target Noah Spence may have offered a glimpse on Twitter on Monday afternoon.

Spence is a five-star rated defensive end prospect out of Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg. He's Pennsylvania's top ranked recruit, according to his Rivals.com profile, and has offers from a host of programs including Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Ohio State, Alabama and Notre Dame to name a few.

Many had hoped he'd become the crowned jewel of Penn State's 2012 recruiting class, currently ranked No. 19 in the country by Rivals. It appears his interest in the school has soured now, though, which could be a signal of troubles to come for a program in turmoil.

Jerry Sandusky Reportedly Used Penn State Football Weight Room Last Week

Dan Wetzel reports that, according to anonymous sources, Jerry Sandusky worked out “multiple times” in the Penn State football weight room last week.

Penn State said it banned Sandusky from bringing children to the football building after a then graduate assistant reported he saw the then 59-year-old coach and a 10-year-old boy in the shower of the football team’s locker room …

Curley and Schultz did not call police, as the state attorney general says was required by Pennsylvania law. Instead they chose to engage a partial ban of Sandusky from university facilities, although that apparently did not include full access to the school’s weight room. The decision was reviewed and approved by university president Graham Spanier.

Given that at least two prominent people in the football program – assistant coach Mike McQueary, the witness who saw the 2002 incident in which Sandusky allegedly raped a child in a Penn State locker room, and head coach Joe Paterno, to whom McQueary reported the incident – should have known exactly how dangerous Sandusky could be, it’s amazing that he was still allowed in Penn State facilities so recently.

This revelation also gives some credence to the grand jury report’s incredible pronouncement that, even after the 2002 incident, Sandusky was still able to bring a child to Penn State spring practices in 2007.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Holds Press Conference

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly held a press conference in Harrisburg on Monday to address the charges against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Vice President for Business and Finance Gary Schultz.

Kelly reaffirmed the contents of the grand jury's presentment on the charges and fielded questions from reporters, many of which pertained to head football coach Joe Paterno's role in the investigation.

Asked if the graduate assistant named in the presentment and involved in the 2002 incident at the Lasch Bulding's shower facilities relayed graphic details to Paterno before Paterno reported the incident to Curley, Kelly referred reporters to the presentment.

Paterno denied specific knowledge of the details of the incident in a statement issued late Sunday.

Asked generally if there may have been people involved with a moral responsibility to come forward, rather than simply a legal one, Kelly was vague.

"There is a difference between legal and moral guilt," Kelly said. "I'm not going to comment on morality right now." 

Penn State Scandal Press Conference: Joe Paterno Not Currently In The Crosshairs In Jerry Sandusky Case

Here are some details from the attorney general’s press conference Monday afternoon regarding the Penn State scandal. I’m not near a TV and am unable to watch, but this is gleaned from various Twitter feeds, particularly that of the Patriot-News.

The attorney general has repeatedly made clear the distinction between “moral and legal guilt.” The attorney general is saying there are no plans to target Joe Paterno in the investigation, because he met his obligations to tell his superiors at Penn State that a graduate assistant reported seeing Jerry Sandusky raping a child in a PSU locker room.

Here’s one note that’s pretty interesting:

AG: Will have to address “down the line” further implications of officials seeing Sandusky with a child after 2002

What the attorney general seems to be referring to is the allegation in the grand jury report that Sandusky took a child he was abusing to Penn State spring football practices as late as 2007. Given that Paterno had knowledge of the 2002 incident (and would have reason to be alarmed at the sight of Jerry Sandusky at Penn State football practice with a child), one would think he would be one of the “officials” the attorney general would look into, if in fact the state gets curious about that.

The attorney general is looking for the unidentified child who Sandusky allegedly raped at Penn State in 2002, but says the state does not need him to prove the charges against Sandusky, given that a graduate assistant will testify that he saw the crime, and many of the other victims have been identified.

LaVar Arrington Comments On Charges Against Jerry Sandusky

There aren't a whole lot of former players stepping forward to comment on the charges against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, but Nittany Lion legend LaVar Arrington offered his perspective on the situation Monday in a blog post for the Washington Post. He opens by speaking fondly of his memories of Sandusky before offering the following. 

On one side I want Jerry to be innocent because he was a great man to me, but on the other side, as a responsible parent if he did molest or assault those children, then he needs to be responsible for his actions, as we all have to be.

In the end, regardless of the outcome, it won’t change all of the great things I witnessed from him while I was in school. But the sad reality is, again regardless of the outcome, it has shattered the image of a man who meant so much to me.

Arrington, a WPIAL Hall-of-Famer out of North Hills, won the Butkus, Bednarik and Lambert awards as a linebacker at Penn State and was an All-American in 1998 and 1999, Sandusky's final years on the Lions' coaching staff. Arrington was on the team when Sandusky allegedly assaulted a boy in showering facilities and allegedly hosted and assaulted boys from The Second Mile in his hotel room on bowl trips.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Scott Paterno Says Father Joe Did 'All He Could Do'

The Jerry Sandusky scandal is just starting to unfold, and it's going to get a lot uglier before it gets any better. Many of those involved have made statements over the past few days, but one of the more interesting sound bites comes from Joe Paterno's son, Scott. According to Ivan Maisel of ESPN, Scott feels that based on the circumstances, his father did all he could do.

"Unfortunately," Scott Paterno said, "once that happened, there was really nothing more Joe felt he could do because he did not witness the event. You can't call the police and say, 'Somebody tells me they saw somebody else do something.' That's hearsay. Police don't take reports in that manner. Frankly, from the way he understood the process, he passed the information on to the appropriate university official and they said they were taking care of it. That's really all he could do."

I sort of understand where he is coming from, sort of. But this is the type of information that Joe Paterno needs to do more with than just take the necessary course of action. And for the record, this is certainly the type of thing the Police would investigate on that kind of evidence, especially if it's coming from the leader of the program in Joe Paterno.

The head coach might have done enough to escape accountability in this instance, but that should not have been his goal. If it was, then this whole situation could unfold in a very unfavorable way for him.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Tim Curley, Gary Schultz To Step Down At Penn State

The AP reports that Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley of Penn State will step down in the wake of their arrests for perjury and for failing to report allegations that former PSU coach Jerry Sandusky raped a child in a Penn State locker room.

BREAKING NEWS: Penn State board says Curley, Schultz stepping down after allegations of sex abuse scandal, cover-up.

It’s no surprise that the allegations, serious as they are, have forced Curley and Schultz from their posts, but it is perhaps a little surprising that this happened so soon. Penn State president Graham Spanier extended Curley and Schultz his “unconditional support” in a statement Saturday in what looks like a very poor decision on Spanier’s part. However, Spanier's resignation does not appear likely at this time, and PSU apparently is not considering having Joe Paterno step down, either.

Sandusky is accused of using his Penn State affiliation to molest young boys. Curley and Schultz did not report allegations by a graduate assistant that Sandusky raped a boy in a Penn State locker room who appeared to be about 10. Curley and Schultz are scheduled to turn themselves in in Harrisburg on Monday.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Joe Paterno Issues Statement, Says He's 'Deeply Saddened' By Allegations

Penn State Head Football Coach Joe Paterno was shocked that one of his former employees allegedly sexually assaulted eight boys, some of which while he was under the employ of Paterno at Penn State.

In Sunday's press release, Paterno said "If true, the nature and amount of charges made are very shocking to me and all Penn Staters. While I did what I was supposed to with the one charge brought to my attention, like anyone else involved I can't help but be deeply saddened these matters are alleged to have occurred."

He continued by saying "As my grand jury testimony stated, I was informed in 2002 by an assistant coach that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of our locker room facility. It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the Grand Jury report. Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As Coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators."

Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator, refused to answer questions about the accusations Sunday, though according to ABC News, his attorney released a statement saying that he was innocent and would fight the charges.

Sandusky retired in 1999, but was allowed to use Penn State facilities for a volunteer program to help struggling youth known as The Second Mile. He also allegedly leveraged his position in the volunteer program to land a high school coaching job where he continued to stalk and abuse a victim of his for many years. According to the same ABC News report, after an investigation, he was banned from the high school in 2009. The ABC News report also states that Sandusky has also been banned from the campus per a university press release.

The scandal certainly has the attention of Penn State, as trustees are currently meeting about the issue.

Keep an eye on this Storystream and on SB Nation Pittsburgh as more develops.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Penn State Named Child Care Center After Defendant Gary Schultz

In July 2011, Penn State opened a child care center named after Gary Schultz, who is currently a defendant in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

When it opened (which was, again, four months ago), the building was framed as a sort of utopian green environment for kids.

Ruskin called the building “a living laboratory” for attending children because the curriculum will incorporate lessons about how the building works.

“It is getting the kids to think deeply — to begin to question where does electricity come from, where does the water come from,” he said. “Young kids are generally very interested in them.”

You can read more about the building here.

Along with Athletic Director Tim Curley, Schultz was charged with perjury and failing to report child abuse. He allegedly did not report Sandusky to the police when presented with an eyewitness account accusing Sandusky of raping a young boy in the shower of a Penn State locker room.

Surely the name of the building will be changed. One would hope, at least.

Via Jeff Junstrom.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Mike McQueary Was Graduate Assistant Witness, According To Report

A new report identifies the 28-year-old graduate assistant who tried to blow the whistle on Jerry Sandusky as current Penn State assistant coach and former PSU quarterback Mike McQueary.

Their testimony of what happened in 2002 — when now-assistant coach Mike McQueary said he witnessed Sandusky in a sex act with a boy in a shower — contradicts that of Paterno and McQueary.

In the presentment, jurors wrote that McQueary — identified in the presentment only as a 28-year-old graduate assistant — was credible but Schultz and Curley were not.

Several sources have identified that witness as McQueary.

McQueary allegedly saw Sandusky raping a boy of about 10 years old in a shower in a locker room at Penn State. He reported the incident to Joe Paterno, and then Athletic Director Tim Curley. He is, apparently, now a witness for the prosecution, and the grand jury found his testimony to be very compelling.

McQueary’s Penn State bio identifies him as a “graduate assistant coach” from 2000 to 2002.

Jerry Sandusky Investigation: Did Joe Paterno Turn A Blind Eye?

On Saturday I wrote that Penn State coach Joe Paterno appeared to be "in the clear" regarding the allegations that former PSU coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused minors, and from a legal perspective, that appears to be true, as long as what Paterno said in his grand jury testimony stands up. However, Sports By Brooks notices something from the timeline of the grand jury document that I should have picked up on, but didn't.

2002: Paterno SPECIFICALLY told by grad asst he witnessed Sandusky anally raping child in PSU locker room. Police never notified.

After all of that, in 2007, Paterno allowed Sandusky to bring 11 yr old boy, who he was raping at the time, to multiple practices.

Now, this isn't some scoop that Sports By Brooks has. That's right there in the grand jury document. In March 2002, a Penn State graduate assistant reported seeing Sandusky raping a young boy - whose identity is still unknown, because no one ever reported the incident to the police - in a shower in Penn State's football building. The graduate assistant then reported the incident to Joe Paterno who covered his behind by reporting what he had heard to Athletic Director Tim Curley, his superior. The graduate assistant then attended a meeting with Curley and Gary Schultz, where he described what he saw. Curley later told the graduate assistant that Sandusky had had his keys to the locker room taken away, and that The Second Mile, the organization through which Sandusky allegedly made contact with these boys, had been made aware of the incident.

Never, though, did Paterno or anyone else report the incident to the police. Also, no one from Penn State tried to figure out who the child was.

That was in 2002. Fast forward to a few years later. Here's what the grand jury report has to say about what happened then.

Victim 1 testified that he was 11 or 12 years old when he met Sandusky through The Second Mile program in 2005 or 2006 ... During the 2007 track season, Sandusky began spending time with Victim 1 weekly, having the boy stay overnight at his residence in State College, Pennsylvania. Sandusky took Victim 1 to professional and college sporting events, such as Philadelphia Eagles games, or pre-season practices at Penn State.

Emphasis mine. Now, we don't know exactly what this means. If Sandusky took the victim to, say, the Blue-White game, there would have been a lot of people there, and it would have been possible, I suppose, for a former coach to attend the game with a young boy without being noticed by Paterno or any of the Penn State higher-ups. That would be pretty risky. But possible.

If these were just regular practices, though, it's amazing that no one noticed that a former coach with a history of having problems involving young boys had brought a young boy to a Penn State practice. Most spring practices, I'm told, are closed to the general public. There aren't a million people there, and you have to have some connection to the team or to the media to get in. So there's no way Sandusky could have brought a young boy (who, unsurprisingly, he was allegedly raping) without running a serious risk that Paterno or someone else would notice what was going on. If Paterno or anyone else cared, that is.

As thorough as the grand jury report is, there are still questions to be answered. But the picture that seems to be emerging is that Curley and Schultz's behavior was part of a pattern that may, in fact, involve Paterno. If Paterno is capable of coaching a football team - and I know he now delegates a lot of the work a head coach typically does, but still - he's capable of noticing that a former coach known to him to be a probable pedophile was using Penn State practices as an excuse to get closer to a young boy. That's simply amazing. Much about this case remains unknown, and it doesn't appear likely that Paterno will be charged, but based on the information available so far, I'd be very surprised if he came out of this incident looking good.

Jerry Sandusky Allegations: Tim Curley, Gary Schultz Attorneys Maintain Clients' Innocence

The attorneys for Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz are both maintaining their clients’ innocence after the two men were charged in the scandal regarding the alleged sexual abuse of minors by former coach Jerry Sandusky.

In a statement also released Saturday, Curley’s attorney Caroline Roberto said her client is innocent.

“We will vigorously challenge the charges in court, and we are confident he will be exonerated,” Roberto said in the statement.

Schultz’s attorney, Tom Farrell, also released a statement declaring his client’s innocence.

“We believe in the legal system, and we believe it will vindicate him,” Farrell said in the statement. “We will fight these charges in court, and Gary Schultz will be proven innocent of all of them.”

As we noted earlier, Penn State president Graham Spanier is also standing behind Curley and Schultz.

For more on the Jerry Sandusky allegations, stay tuned to this storystream.

Jerry Sandusky Allegations Appear To Leave Joe Paterno In The Clear

It’s obviously way too early to draw any firm conclusions from the news about the allegations that former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused minors. But one interesting fact that we’ve been discussing at SB Nation about what has been reported so far, however, is that Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is one of the few Penn State officials involved who hasn’t come back looking dirty. Here’s the attorney general’s statement on Paterno:

Together, the two decided that the assistant should promptly report the incident to head football coach Joe Paterno.

The next morning, the assistant telephoned Paterno and then went to Paterno’s home to explain what he had seen. Paterno testified that he then called Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and met with Curley the following day, explaining that a graduate assistant had reported seeing Sandusky involved in sexual activity with a young boy in the showers at the Lasch Building.

The assistant then met with Curley and Gary Schultz, both of whom have been charged in the Sandusky scandal. Neither Curley nor Schultz relayed the assistant’s statement to the police, and neither, apparently, did they try to learn any more about who the child was or what happened. Paterno might have reported the incident to the police himself, but it appears he at least covered himself by reporting it to the university.

There are allegations of “sexually inappropriate behavior” against young boys at Penn State by Sandusky going back to at least 1998, so the worst-case scenario here is that his alleged predilections were something that lots of people in the football program knew about but no one reported. In the meantime, though, it looks unlikely that Paterno will be tied up in this any further.

UPDATE: The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports that Paterno has received praise from law enforcement officials for handling himself well throughout this scandal.

The sources said the deputy state prosecutor handling the case said that Paterno did the right thing, and handled himself appropriately in 2002 and during the three-year investigation that ended Friday.

Jerry Sandusky's Attorney: My Client Says He's Innocent

Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, says his client claims he is innocent of charges of sexual abuse against minors. He also says his client is “shaky”:

“He’s shaky, as you can expect. Being 67 years old, never having faced criminal charges in his life, and having the distinguished career that he’s had, these are very serious allegations. He’s taking them seriously, but he also has realized that he has to face them and go from there and proceed with his defense.”

Amendola also says that Sandusky had been out of state visiting family, but he returned to State College “voluntarily” when told that he needed to return.

It sounds like Amendola will have more to say when he has been able to discuss the charges with Sandusky, and after he has had time to develop a defense.

As this story unfolds, we’ll have more updates on this situation in this storystream.

Penn State Releases Official Statement Regarding Jerry Sandusky Investigation

Penn State has released an official statement from University President Graham Spanier in regards to the Jerry Sandusky investigation and charges:

The allegations about a former coach are troubling, and it is appropriate that they be investigated thoroughly. Protecting children requires the utmost vigilance.

With regard to the other presentments, I wish to say that Tim Curley and Gary Schultz have my unconditional support. I have known and worked daily with Tim and Gary for more than 16 years. I have complete confidence in how they have handled the allegations about a former University employee.

Tim Curley and Gary Schultz operate at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and compassion. I am confident the record will show that these charges are groundless and that they conducted themselves professionally and appropriately.

Graham Spanier

Sandusky has been charged by state prosecutors of sexually abusing eight young me. Nittany Lions Athletic Director Tim Curley and school administrator Gary Schulz have also been charged with perjury in relation to the case.

For more on Penn State, be sure to follow SB Nation Pittsburgh and the Nittany Lions blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Jerry Sandusky Grand Jury Investigation Could Put Penn State Football In Serious Trouble

The Pennsylvania Attorney General has released their report on the Jerry Sandusky investigation, and I must warn you, it is a depressing and graphic account. The Nittany Lions could be in some serious trouble here:

"This is a case about a sexual predator who used his position within the university and community to repeatedly prey on young boys," Kelly said. "It is also a case about high-ranking university officials who allegedly failed to report the sexual assault of a young boy after the information was brought to their attention, and later made false statements to a grand jury that was investigating a series of assaults on young boys.

"I hope people will understand that any suspicion of sexual abuse should be reported to the police," Commissioner Noonan said. "Sexual abuse is a serious issue and children are often scared to tell anyone about the abuse - many cases are hidden for years - but by informing the police they can stop it."

In addition to the charges against Sandusky, Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and school administrator Gary Schulz have been charged with perjury.

I do not think it is hyperbole at all to say that this is a sad day for Penn State football.

For more on Penn State, be sure to follow SB Nation Pittsburgh and the Nittany Lions blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley Charged With Perjury, According to Report

The saga of former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky just gets crazier. Fox 29 in Philadelphia is now reporting that the Nittany Lions' athletic director, Tim Curley, and another school administrator will be charged with perjury:

Sandusky was indicted Friday on sex abuse charges against minors, after a two year long grand jury investigation.

For more on Penn State, be sure to follow SB Nation Pittsburgh and the Nittany Lions blog Black Shoe Diaries.

Former Nittany Lions Coach Jerry Sandusky Indicted On Chargers Of Sex Crimes Against Minors

Former PSU coach Jerry Sandusky indicted on sex charges against minors