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  • Jerry Sandusky Gets His Pension Restored

    Jerry Sandusky Gets His Pension Restored

    In an unanimous vote, a Pennsylvania court has decided to give convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky his pension back. The court ruled that Sandusky was not, in fact, a Penn State employee when he committed the crimes for which he is now imprisoned.

    From CBS News:

    A Commonwealth Court panel ruled unanimously Friday that the State Employees’ Retirement Board wrongly concluded Sandusky was a Penn State employee when he committed the crimes that were the basis for the pension forfeiture.

    The pension is worth about $4,900 a month to Sandusky and his wife, Dottie.

    The judges also ordered the board to pay back interest. They reinstated the pension retroactively to when the board ended it in October 2012 on the day he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

    ‘The board conflated the requirements that Mr. Sandusky engage in ‘work relating to’ PSU and that he engage in that work ‘for’ PSU,” wrote Judge Dan Pellegrini. ”Mr. Sandusky’s performance of services that benefited PSU does not render him a PSU employee.”

    “There exists no statute which affirmatively requires the board to deny (Sandusky’s) withheld retirement allowances,” Pellegrini wrote. “Indeed, the Retirement Code affirmatively required the board to grant the pension benefits.”

    In June of 2012, the former Penn State assistant coach was found guilty of 45 of 48 counts against him. These included eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, seven counts of indecent assault, one count of criminal intent to commit indecent assault, nine counts of unlawful contact with minors, 10 counts of corruption of minors and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of children.

    Facing up to 442 years in prison, Sandusky was given 60 years, with parole eligibility in 30. He will be 98 when that happens.

  • Jerry Sandusky Accidentally Invited Back to Penn State Campus

    Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is serving 30 to 60 years at a supermax prison for molesting little boys in the showers. The scandal surrounding his charges and conviction caused a stink in Pennsylvania that besmirched the entire University, as well as the memory of his boss, Coach Joe Paterno.

    But now it seems that Penn State wants Jerry Sandusky back. At least that’s what their letter to him this week said.

    “Dear Gerald A,” the letter reads. “Congratulations on being identified as one of the elite college football fans in the nation. You have worked diligently to separate yourself by exhibiting unrivaled tenacity, character, and loyalty. Passionate and competitive, you are the leading standard of a first class fan base.”

    The letter was sent to many previous season ticket holders, inviting them to visit the campus during a home game in the coming season.

    “We appreciate your unwavering support of this great university and of the student-athletes who proudly wear the Penn State uniform,” the letter concludes. “Thank you for your passion and investment in our student athletes.”

    Of course, the letter was a mistake — not a hoax, mind you; it is legit — but a mistake. The University is in the middle of a campaign trying to get as many fans into the stadium seats as possible.

    Penn State Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Jeff Nelson issued a statement about the letter:

    “Clearly, a mistake was made and our database needs further updating and cross-referencing. This standard form letter was part of a mass mailing sent to approximately 30,000 people who have had season or single game tickets within the past four years, encouraging them to support the team and help fill Beaver Stadium for every game in 2015.”

  • Jerry Sandusky: Prosecutors And Police Accused Of Causing Delays In Case

    On Monday, a report containing details on Jerry Sandusky’s case was released. Based on the report, the prosecutors and police are at fault for the delays in pressing charges. The report also stated that there was no evidence of political interference.

    Sandusky is a retired football coach from Pennsylvania State University. In 2008, an investigation was conducted because of sexual abuse allegations against Sandusky.

    Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane ordered the investigation since the case was taking too long. According to former federal prosecutor Geoff Moulton, there was a three-year lapse in filing charges due to communication problems.

    Kane said, “The facts show an inexcusable lack of urgency in charging and stopping a serial sexual predator. The report documents that more investigative work took place in just one month in 2011 than in all of either 2009 or 2010.”

    Sandusky, 70, was convicted in 2012 of 45 criminal counts of sexual abuse. Several men testified that Sandusky would grope them in the shower and even have anal and oral sex with them.

    Sandusky admitted that he showered with the boys, but he denied any wrongdoing. Penn State settled and agreed to pay $60 million to dozens of boys who were sexually abused by Sandusky.

    While running for attorney general in 2012, Kane implied that Gov. Tom Corbett deliberately slowed down the investigation for political reasons. However, Monday’s reports revealed that political interference was not a cause of the delay. Moulton said on Monday that they “found no direct evidence that electoral politics influenced any important decision made in the investigation.”

    A state hearing examiner also suggested that Sandusky’s $4,900 monthly pension should be reinstated. Hearing examiner Michael Bangs, however, said that the 2004 pension law states that sexual offense is one of the crimes that can be a cause of pension forfeiture, but it does not apply to criminals who commit their crimes after receiving pension.

    The State Employee’s Retirement System will decide whether Sandusky’s pension should be reinstated.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jerry Sandusky Fights to Receive State Pension

    After being found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse pertaining to the Penn State scandal and being sentenced to at least 30 years in prison, former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is fighting to have his state pension reinstated. Pennsylvania’s State Employees Retirement System (SERS) says that Sandusky forfeited his pension of $59,000 per year because of the nature of his crimes.

    Sandusky’s pension was revoked by SERS in October 2012 after he was found guilty in the child sex abuse case. Sandusky’s lawyers argue that he is still eligible to receive his pension because when Sandusky retired in 1999, sex crimes wasn’t an offense that could cause one’s pension to be forfeited–sex crimes weren’t added until 2004.

    While it is true that Sandusky retired as Penn State’s assistant football coach in 1999, Sandusky did maintain an office at Penn State until 2011 through his work with The Second Mile. The Second Mile is the nonprofit organization founded by Jerry Sandusky for underprivileged kids that gave him access to the children he was accused of abusing.

    Even though Sandusky never received a paycheck from Penn State after officially retiring, which is a requirement for him to be considered a school employee, SERS says that Sandusky’s continued professional relationship with Penn State makes his case an exception.

    Sandusky had an agreement with former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley for the university to work with The Second Mile, plus SERS says that the office and other perks the university provided Sandusky, such as football tickets, were forms of compensation. This agreement was documented in letters written back and forth between Sandusky and Curley.

    “The letter agreement puts lie to Sandusky’s contention that he ‘retired’ in 1999,” SERS attorneys wrote. “If anything, in June 1999, Sandusky retired from his position as football coach, but then continued as PSU employee in a new ‘outreach’ position…To be sure, the agreement was not an ordinary contract or employment arrangement. But, from the Penn State perspective, Sandusky was not an ordinary man.”

    If Jerry Sandusky isn’t successful in getting his pension reinstated, his wife Dottie Sandusky will also “lose the ability to collect a 50 percent survivor’s benefit for the remainder of her life” should her husband pass before she does. Dottie (pictured below) still maintains that her husband never abused any young boys. “He’s not guilty of these horrific crimes,” Dottie said during an interview in March. Of the showers, Dottie said, “That’s the generation that Jerry grew up in…They’d have soap battles or whatever.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Jerry Sandusky is Innocent, Says Wife

    Jerry Sandusky is Innocent, Says Wife

    Dottie Sandusky married her husband for better or for worse, and it’s clear she takes those vows seriously.

    Dottie Sandusky, the wife of convicted sexual child abuser and former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, spoke about her husband to Matt Lauer on the Today show this morning.

    She defended her husband of 37 years, who was convicted of abusing 10 boys. Lauer asked her if she still believes that her husband is innocent of the crimes a jury found him guilty of.

    “I definitely believe him,” she said during her interview. “He’s not guilty of these horrific crimes.”

    And although Mrs. Sandusky does admit that Mr. Sandusky did take showers with the boys, just like he did with their six adopted children, she doesn’t believe anything inappropriate went on.

    “That’s the generation that Jerry grew up in,” she said. “They’d have soap battles or whatever.”

    She slams allegations that Sandusky used to perform sexual acts with the boys in her basement. One of the victims claimed that he screamed for help, something that Mrs. Sandusky denies.

    “It is not a dungeon,” she said. “It is not what those kids said. You can scream and hear it from the second floor.”

    Mrs. Sandusky says she is speaking out now about her husband’s innocence because she wanted to share her belief with a large audience. With her during the interview was John Ziegler, who is working on a documentary about Sandusky and Joe Paterno. Paterno was the Penn State head coach at the time Sandusky’s abuse took place. An NCAA investigation found that the famed coach covered up allegations about the abuse.

    “I have spent two years without pay looking into this case,” said Ziegler. “I am positive that the truth has been lost here.”

    Here’s what the Twittersphere had to say about Mrs. Sandusky speaking out:

    Sandusky was sentenced in October 2012 to spend at least 30 years in jail before he becomes eligible for parole. He was found guilty on 45 counts of child abuse, involving ten boys over the course of 15 years.

    Image via YouTube

  • Penn State Coach Likely to be Vandy’s James Franklin

    Now that the college football season is officially over until the fall, it is time to start the roller-coaster that is the coaching rumor mill. The NFL has already seen its fair share of firings and hirings, and now it is time for the NCAA to do the same. While progress in the college coaching sphere has been slower (most likely due to university bureaucratic red-tape), the wheels are starting to turn. The latest coaching rumors come from the home of the Nittany Lions, Penn State.

    Rumors abounded Wednesday and Thursday that James Franklin, current coach at Vanderbilt University, will be the next coach of Penn State, with multiple sources claiming that Franklin had already accepted an offer from the university. The head coaching position at Penn State came open after former head coach Bill O’Brien left the program to become the head coach of the NFL’s Houston Texans. As it currently stands, Larry Johnson, the Nittany Lions defensive line coach, is serving as interim head coach.

    Credence was given to the rumors when the Centre Daily Times reported on Thursday that the Penn State selection committee had scheduled a meeting for Saturday morning to discuss the compensation package for the university’s next head coach. The news of the meeting came on the heels of university administrators and certain members of the selection committee returning from a trip to Destin, Florida, where James Franklin just happens to have a vacation home.

    The Times-Tribune of Scranton reported on Wednesday that following said meeting in Destin, the selection committee offered the position to Franklin. This report is most likely what led to statements that Franklin had already accepted the job.

    Vanderbilt’s athletic director, David Williams, is adamantly reminding players, fans, and media outlets that Franklin has yet to make any decision yet, however: “He just called to let me know that the reports that he had accepted the job were not true. I think it was a call to say, ‘I know what’s being said,’ and as I’ve said, he’ll be our football coach until he tells me he’s not. I’m hoping that will remain.”

    Williams is not simply relying on hope, though. In speaking to Nashville radio station 104.5 FM on Wednesday, Williams announced just how far he would go to retain Franklin as head coach: “I’d shave my head (to keep Franklin), and I’d give him the money I saved going to the barber shop.”

    Vanderbilt players are also Tweeting to their followers about the lack of authority behind the rumors that Franklin has already made up his mind:

    While others are trying to keep the ‘Dores fan-base optimistic even if Vanderbilt loses Franklin as its head coach:

    Even Vanderbilt alums are getting in on the action, with PGA golfer Brandt Snedeker tweeting his plan to get Franklin to stay:

    Considering Vanderbilt is not a typical football power-house, many fans may wonder why Franklin has become such a hot commodity. Over the past 3 years as head coach, Franklin led the Commodores to a 24-15 record, winning 16 of his last 20 games as head coach while leading Vanderbilt to 3 consecutive Bowl Games. Before Franklin, Vanderbilt had won a total of 13 SEC conference games in 10 years and had played in only 4 bowl games in school history.

    Due to having overcome so much adversity at Vanderbilt due to a complete lack of interest or success in football, Franklin may be the perfect candidate for Penn State’s next head coach. Penn State still faces severe sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, the most notable being the lack of scholarship positions available and the bowl games ban until 2016. As such, the next Penn State football coach will have to view the school as a final destination and not a platform through which to obtain a “better” coaching gig.

    Considering Franklin has very close ties to the state of Pennsylvania (having grown up, played football, and coached in the state) and to former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien (the two coached together at the University of Maryland), he may well be the perfect candidate to fill the shoes worn so well by Joe Paterno. If hired, James Franklin will become the first black coach in the history of Penn State football, cementing the university’s transition away from its storied, yet marred, past and into the future.

    Image via YouTube

  • Paterno Family Lawsuit Wants to Void Consent Decree

    On Tuesday, Senior Judge John B. Leete listened to arguments for 3 hours concerning the Jerry Sandusky scandal that occurred at Penn State and the ensuing fallout. In June of last year, Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse against young boys. Not only was Sandusky punished with 30-60 years in prison, but Penn State University was also subject to many sanctions placed upon them by the NCAA – a $60 million fine, a four-year ban on post-season eligibility, the loss of scholarships, and the vacation of Joe Paterno’s victories from 1998-2011, 112 wins total.

    At the time, many people thought the sanctions imposed by the NCAA were still not enough. However, the family of Joe Paterno has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA claiming that the organization side-stepped their own bylaws and had no jurisdiction to hand down the sanctions they did. Paterno’s family, along with four university trustees, four faculty members, 9 former players, and two former coaches, claim a breach of contract by the NCAA, resulting in contract interference, defamation, commercial disparagement, and civil conspiracy.

    The lawsuit comes on the heels of Penn State awarding $59.7 million to 26 victims of abuse by Sandusky. In a statement released by the university, President Rodney Erickson stated, “We hope this is another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by Mr. Sandusky, and another step forward for Penn State. We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State.”

    The university will pay for the settlement through liability insurance, not taxpayer money or student tuition.

    The NCAA is asking Judge Leete to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that the Paterno family made a large oversight in their case – namely that of including Penn State as a party in the lawsuit. Everett Johnson, an attorney for the NCAA, says that Penn State must be listed as a party because if the lawsuit was to be upheld, the results would directly impact the institution. Also, the NCAA holds Penn State as the responsible party for agreeing to to consent decree imposed upon them by the NCAA.

    The problem with Penn State being listed as a plaintiff, though, is that they waived all rights to legally challenge the ruling. The plaintiffs are arguing, however, that Penn State does not have to be party in the lawsuit because the NCAA violated its own bylaws when it chose to file charges using evidence obtained from the third-party Freeh report instead of conducting its own investigation.

    While Judge Leete may agree that the NCAA was unorthodox in its approach to investigating the incident, stating that, “They cut a new path with this case, no question about it,” he has decided to not issue a verdict until a later date.

    If the consent decree is overturned by Judge Leete, then Penn State will be subject to an entirely new investigation and potentially even harsher punishments. While the actions conducted by Sandusky were atrocious, the punitive actions of the NCAA against an entire university of current students and football players who were not involved seems excessive. If the judge rules in favor of the Paterno family, one can only hope that at least some of the reputation of one of the United States’s best universities will be restored and the impact upon innocent students will be drastically lessened.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Penn State to Pay $59.7 Million in Abuse Settlement

    Nearly two years after news of the Penn State child molestation scandal broke, the university has agreed to pay a settlement of almost $60 million to 26 victims that were sexually assaulted by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

    Thirty two men claimed to have been sexually abused by Sandusky, but Penn State dismissed six of the claims, saying they were “without merit.”

    “We hope this is another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by Mr. Sandusky, and another step forward for Penn State,” University President Rodney Erickson said in a statement that was posted to Penn State’s website. “We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State.”

    According to Penn State’s website, the settlement money won’t be funded by student tuition or taxpayer funds. The university believes that several liability insurance policies will cover the settlement.

    Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 on 45 criminal counts of abuse. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, which should keep the 69-year-old former coach behind bars for the rest of his life. Sandusky, who has always maintained his innocence, applied for a retrial earlier this month and was denied.

    The NCAA levied serious sanctions upon Penn State for lack of university control in the sex abuse scandal. Joe Paterno, PSU’s late legendary coach, was said to have known about Sandusky abusing boys in the showers at the university, but never turned it in. This led to Paterno’s firing shortly after the scandal broke.

    Penn State lost 40 football scholarships, was fined $60 million and received a postseason ban as part of the sanctions. The NCAA decided to restore the football scholarships this past September. Penn State will get to add in 5 scholarships next year and will add 5 more scholarships each year until they reach the normal amount.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jerry Sandusky Victims Reach Settlement Agreement

    Jerry Sandusky, who is serving 30-60 years in prison for sexually abusing several boys at Penn State University while he was employed there, is back in the news this week after the school reportedly reached settlements with 26 of his victims.

    The figure is around $59 million, though it hasn’t been disclosed how that amount will be divided up. The University says that six additional claims were made by other men, but were dismissed after being found “without merit“. Insurance and interest revenues are expected to cover the expenses of the settlements, but the school has already shelled out about $50 million since Sandusky was found guilty last June to cover lawyer fees and public relations expenses, among other things.

    Former president Graham Spanier, retired vice president Gary Schultz and retired athletic director Tim Curley are awaiting trial for their involvement in a possible cover-up of the abuse; all three deny the allegations. Eight men testified against Sandusky, claiming he molested and/or raped them while they spent time at the University with his charity organization, The Second Mile. Mike McQueary, an assistant foot ball coach at the time, went to Spanier, Schultz and Curley with claims that he had witnessed Sandusky having sex with a boy in the school showers, but ultimately no action was taken against Sandusky. The FBI later found emails sent between the three men discussing how to handle the situation and it was decided they would ask him not to bring boys from The Second Mile to the school anymore. At least two boys were molested after that incident.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Jerry Sandusky Scandal Resurfacing With Another Trial

    Jerry Sandusky was a major focus of the news last summer when he was accused–and then convicted–of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. The story was heartbreaking, horrifying, and brought ruin to the lives of many…and to the reputations of men who had been a part of the Penn State legacy for decades.

    Now, a little over a year later, a judge has ruled that the school’s former president and two former administrators will stand trial on charges that they attempted to cover up their failure to alert police that Sandusky had been accused of molesting a boy in the locker room showers. Former President Graham Spanier, former Vice President Gary Schultz, and former Athletic Director Tim Curley allegedly didn’t act when assistant coach Mike McQueary said he’d witnessed Sandusky sexually assaulting a boy in the locker room showers; Curley and Schultz later said they didn’t realize the assault was sexual in nature, and Spanier said he was never made fully aware of the allegations. However, the FBI discovered emails sent between the three men discussing what to do about the incident. It was allegedly decided that they would ask Sandusky not to bring boys from his underprivileged youth charity organization, The Second Mile, to the school. McQueary said he took his report to Coach Joe Paterno, as well, who ignored the claims. Paterno died early last year, before Sandusky could be put on the stand.

    “The only downside for us is if the message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road,” Spanier wrote in one of the e-mails.

    At least two boys were molested after that incident, which might have been prevented if school officials had stepped in. Penn State recently authorized payment of around $60 million to the families of the victims, who filed claims against the university. Sandusky, meanwhile, maintains his innocence and plans to appeal his life sentence.

  • Jerry Sandusky’s Son Files For a Name Change

    Very few things will tarnish a name more than an sex offender conviction, especially when the crime is molesting young children. As former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky’s family continues to put their lives together after their patriarch’s conviction, at least one member of the family is looking to heavily distance himself from the scandal.

    According to an Associated Press report, Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of Jerry Sandusky, this week filed court papers attempting to change his name. Though the papers are sealed, they list Matt, his wife, and their four children as those filing for the name change.

    Jerry Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 of molesting young boys involved in a nonprofit organization that Sandusky had founded, ostensibly to help underprivileged children in Pennsylvania. The scandal rocked the Penn State community, and even long-time Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was implicated in covering up Sandusky’s actions. Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts, including multiple counts of indecent assault, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. The 68-year-old was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with his first parole hearing coming in 30 years.

    It was revealed after the trial that Matt Sandusky was one of his father’s accusers during the trial. Matt claims that his adopted father sexually abused him as a teenager, though his mother, Dottie Sandusky, has accused him of stealing and lying.

    (via Associated Press)

  • Joe Paterno’s Widow To Sit Down With Katie Couric

    Joe Paterno’s widow, Sue, has largely kept out of the public eye since the Penn State scandal–and subsequent arrest/conviction of Jerry Sandusky–last year. But that’s all set to change; the woman who was married to the now-disgraced football coach for fifty years has agreed to an in-depth interview with Katie Couric.

    Paterno was largely viewed for years as an icon at the university and proudly carried the title of one of the nation’s winningest football coaches. But when an investigation was launched against the school after allegations of child sex abuse, Paterno was eventually fired on the grounds that he stood idly by as the abuse took place. He died just two months later, and the man accused of the crimes, Jerry Sandusky, would be a free man for several more months before a jury found him guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse against ten boys.

    While Paterno may not have harmed the children himself, many claims were made that he was told about the abuse after an employee of the college saw Sandusky touching a boy in the shower and didn’t do enough to stop it. His widow and family have protested that Paterno did everything that was expected of him in that situation and still maintain his innocence, but after Sandusky was found guilty, the former coach was stripped of 111 of the team’s wins and a statue in his likeness was taken down from the grounds of Penn State.

    The interview will premiere on “Katie” on February 11th.

    (image)

  • Dottie Sandusky Pens Shocking Letter To Judge

    Dottie Sandusky, wife of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, wrote a letter to Judge John Cleland after her husband was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse earlier this year; now, her words have been released to the public, and they are shocking to many who view the couple as victim-blamers.

    In the letter, Dottie defends her husband and herself, saying that if she had witnessed any wrongdoing on his part, she would have stepped up and said something. While that’s not entirely surprising, what has everyone reeling is the accusations she levels against their adopted son, Matt–who is one of Sandusky’s accusers–and against the young men who came forward with their stories, saying Sandusky never did anything but go out of his way to help them. In defending her husband, she comes off sounding bitter at these boys who seem to be ungrateful for everything the couple did for them, and that could be a problem for her once the letter makes its rounds on the web.

    Dear Judge Cleland:
    I am Dottie Sandusky, Jerry Sandusky’s wife of 46 years in September. It is with a heavy heart I write this to you. I have known Jerry for 47 years and he has always been truthful with me, even if it hurt. He is a very up front man and a man of very high morals.

    Jerry always put others before himself and always wanted to make each person feel special no matter who they were. Like all of us he has his faults, one is he cares so much for people always wanting them to reach their potential. Therefore he pushes them hard. One 42 year old man who was in the Second Mile stopped by the other day and told me how thankful he is to Jerry for pushing him to be the best he could be. He said, “What I learned from Jerry has made me a better husband and father.” This is a young man who had many strikes against him.

    Jerry was a wonderful father to our six children. We thank God each day for bringing them into our life. He treated each one as if they were our biological children. Our house was a fun house with lots of games, picnics, laughs and caring. There were always lots of people around whether it was friends of our kids, Second Mile kids or neighbors.
    I never saw him doing anything inappropriate to any child, if I had, as a Mother and Grandmother I would have taken action. Jerry is not the monster everyone is making him out to be.

    Many times he would give up much of his free time, which was not many hours when he was a coach, to make a sporting event of one of the kids he was trying to help. Sometimes we would drive two hours to spend time with these kids.

    One of the accusers called Jerry and said he could not do his school work because his computer broke and Jerry found a used computer that someone was not using and gave it to him. Fact is most of the things he gave to the accusers were used or given to him by people who wanted to help these young men.

    I use to believe in our protective system, but now have no faith in the police or legal system. To think that they can lie and get by with the lies. The press has been unbelievable. People who have not met us are writing untruths.
    As far as our son Matt goes, people need to know what kind of person he is. We have forgiven him many times for all he has done to our family thinking that he was changing his life, but he would always go back to his stealing and lies. He has been diagnose with Bipolar, but he refuses to take his medicine. He has had many run-ins with the law and stolen money and items from our family. We still love him and want the best for him, but because of his actions we cannot express this to him.

    I pray each day that God will give me the strength to do what is right and that I will be able to hold our family together.
    Thank you for listening.
    Sincerely,
    Dorothy D. Sandusky

    Sandusky wrote his own letter, which had a similar tone: “Nobody mentioned the impact of abandonment, neglect, abuse, insecurity and conflicting messages that the biological parents might have had in this.”

    “Sentencing is a time to ask for mercy, not to attack others,” said Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor. “In my experience, judges really hate letters that try to shift the blame to others or which belittle the victims or the court.”

  • Jerry Sandusky Is Penning A Tell-All Book

    Jerry Sandusky, perhaps one of the most reviled men of this decade, is writing a book during his time in prison in order to tell his side of the story.

    Sandusky, who was found guilty of 45 out of 48 counts of sexual abuse against 10 boys back in June, has been in jail since then awaiting his sentencing, which will occur next month. To occupy his time, he’s writing his account of how things went down, with the help of his wife Dottie. In fact, Dottie has been sending him so much correspondence that she’s had her privileges revoked by prison officials.

    Throughout the trial Sandusky was very quiet, but his attorney, Joe Amendola, says he had been looking forward to getting up on the stand to address the accusations against him. He never got the chance, however, because his adopted son Matt came forward with his own allegations of abuse at the last minute. Amendola expects his client to speak at his sentencing, however.

    “He wants everyone to know that. He had looked forward to testifying at his trial, and because of unforeseen circumstances [allegations of abuse by his adopted son, Matt Sandusky], that didn’t happen,” Amendola said. “Jerry views his sentencing as an opportunity for him to tell his side of this.”

    If Sandusky is allowed to write this book, it will be his second; his first was published in 2001 and bears the now-significant title “Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story”.

  • Penn State Could Lose Accreditation Over Sandusky Scandal

    Pennsylvania State University could be in danger of losing its accreditation in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

    The Middle States Commission on Higher Education warned Penn State last week on August 8th that it does not believe the university is complying with some of its accreditation standards. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, the commission has requested a monitoring report from Penn State and will visit the school sometime this year. The school has until September 30th to provide its report. The commission told the Chicago Tribune that it issues these warnings when a university has the chance to bring itself back into compliance.

    The commission has stated that Penn State may have violated government regulations and therefore the commission’s standards of “leadership, governance, and integrity.” The Middle States Commission of Higher Education is one of many private regional education associations that set accreditation criteria and audit institutions for compliance. According to the Chicago Tribune, if the university were to lose its accreditation, it would also lose its federal funding for research and student loans.

    As much of a wake-up call as this may be for the Penn State administration, it is unlikely that it will lose its accreditation.

    Last month Penn State was fined $60 million by the NCAA and its football program will lose ten scholarships and be ineligible for bowl games over the next four years, due to its cover-up of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of minors. The program is also on probation for five years, and has vacated all of former coach Joe Paterno’s victories from 1998-2001.

    (Photo by barcoder96 via Wikimedia Commons)

  • Penn State Penalties: Does The Punishment Fit The Crime?

    Penn State has been embroiled in controversy for over a year now regarding the heinous acts of one man–Jerry Sandusky–against several young boys, but in recent months we’ve seen the university he worked for, as well as several of his co-workers, become involved as stories of cover-ups and lack of action have poured forth. One of the questions on everyone’s mind has been, “Will the football program be shut down?” Now, it looks like that question has been answered.

    The NCAA has just issued penalties for the school; rather than closing the program for good–an action that many called for–the university will face $60 million in fines (which will go to a fund for child abuse victims), lose ten scholarships a year over the next four years, and will be banned from bowl games for the same period of time. They will also be on probation for five years, meaning one false step and the NCAA could make a move to shut them down. And, in what many consider to be a shocking move, the college has vacated all of Coach Joe Paterno’s victories from 1998-2001, meaning he will no longer hold the record for most wins.

    Early on Sunday morning, it was announced that the university’s statue of Paterno would be taken down and moved to a secure location, which is not part of the penalties enforced upon the football program, but rather an effort to cleanse the school so the victims can begin healing.

    While most will agree that these penalties are at least a step in the right direction, some wonder if the punishment truly fits the crimes of the men involved, and whether healing can truly be done with the program still open and running. However, NCAA president Mark Emmert made a statement regarding their decision, making it clear that the victims are the first priority.

    “No matter what we do here today, there is no action we can take that will remove their pain and anguish,” Emmert said. “But what we can do is impose sanctions that both reflect the magnitude of these terrible acts and that also ensure that Penn State will rebuild an athletic culture that went horribly awry. Our goal is not to be just punitive, but to make sure the university establishes an athletic culture in which football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people.”

  • Joe Paterno: Cover Up May Have Been His Idea

    In the days and weeks since Joe Paterno’s death, he has been painted as a good, honest man whose main goal in life was bettering the lives of his players; he has been hailed as a kindly older gentleman with nothing but the best intentions in his heart.

    But now that several email exchanges between the former president of Penn State and two employees have been released to the public, we are seeing a potentially dark side of that man, and people who once stood in his corner are finding a change of heart.

    The emails were exchanged between former president Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, and athletic director Tim Curley in the days following Mike McQueary’s claims to Paterno that he had witnessed Jerry Sandusky sexually abusing a boy in the school showers. Curley and Schultz were concerned and initially wanted to go to authorities, but quickly changed their minds, which was reflected in the emails. Their second option, they wrote to Spanier, was to go to Sandusky directly rather than involving anyone publicly, and Spanier agreed, calling it a “humane and reasonable way to proceed”.

    Curley wrote:

    “After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe [Paterno] yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps. I am having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved. I would be more comfortable meeting with the person.. tell him the information we received… and tell him we are aware of the first situation.”

    ”The only downside for us is if message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it, but that can be assessed down the road,” Spanier allegedly replied.

    When the emails first surfaced, many people wondered what would make Curley and Schultz, who seemed so intent on bringing the story out at first, change their minds so suddenly. Now, it looks like Joe Paterno played a major hand in swaying them towards keeping the allegations quiet.

    Unfortunately, Paterno isn’t here to answer questions, as he passed away earlier this year of lung cancer. With these newly-discovered emails coming to light, his reputation and legacy will no doubt be even more marred.

  • Penn State Cover-Up: Emails Show What Officials Knew

    In emails obtained by CNN and other news outlets this week, former Penn State president Graham Spanier signed off on keeping the child-abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky a secret, calling it a “humane and reasonable way to proceed” rather than expose Sandusky’s crimes and put the school in a bad position.

    The emails were exchanged directly after Mike McQueary went to coach Joe Paterno with claims that he’d seen Sandusky performing a sex act with a child in the school showers in 2001; in them, athletic director Tim Curley and (retired) vice president Gary Schultz essentially asked for guidance on whether or not to come forward with the allegations. Their initial plan was to report Sandusky, but later they changed their minds, and Spanier supported their decision to remain quiet, although he did voice the opinion that university officials would be in a vulnerable position if word ever got out. When Curley said he was uncomfortable with reporting Sandusky and preferred instead to work with him on the matter directly, Spanier agreed.

    ”The only downside for us is if message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it, but that can be assessed down the road,” Spanier allegedly wrote in the email.

    While it’s been noted that school officials were simply trying to keep from acting rashly in light of such ghastly allegations, now that we know more about Sandusky and the abuse he was convicted of earlier this month, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would not come forward with the best interests of the children involved.

    No word yet on whether the emails will lead to charges against Spanier, Curley or Schultz.

  • Matt Sandusky: Adopted Son Says He Was Abused, Too

    Since the beginning of the case brought against Jerry Sandusky–the former Penn State coach accused of sexually abusing several boys during his term there–a lot of people, including myself, have wondered if any of his six adopted children would come forward with their own allegations. As the trial wears on and evidence piles up against Sandusky, it seemed inevitable that his family would be called upon to face the jury.

    Now, his son Matt has come forward with allegations that he was indeed abused. His statement hasn’t been disclosed publicly yet, but it could be a crucial turning point in the case, which was already in deliberation by jurors when Matt came forward.

    “During the trial, Matt Sandusky contacted us and requested our advice and assistance in arranging a meeting with prosecutors to disclose for the first time in this case that he is a victim of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse,” read the prosecution’s statement. “At Matt’s request, we immediately arranged a meeting between him and the prosecutors and investigators. 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.”

    Officials confirmed that Matt had come into the Sandusky home as a teenage foster child and was adopted by the family as an adult; however, just four months after moving in to the home in 1995, he attempted suicide. His probation officer documented concern that Matt was not getting what he needed while placed with the Sanduskys, but he was pushed through the system anyway and allowed to continue living there.

    Jerry Sandusky has had witnesses come forward to back up his maintained argument that he did nothing wrong, such as Dick Anderson, a Penn State assistant who says that although he knew Sandusky was showering with some of the boys from The Second Mile–Sandusky’s charity for troubled youth–after playing sports, it wasn’t uncommon for other coaches to do the same thing.

    “If Jerry would bring someone in with The Second Mile, they had been working out, for whatever reason they came in, it was not uncommon … with the other coaches in the shower as well,” Anderson said.

    However, Anderson’s claim for the defense is in counter to one from Mike McQueary, who testified that he saw Sandusky having sex with a boy in the school showers. His claims ultimately led to the termination of former football coach Joe Paterno after Sandusky’s arrest last November, for not acting immediately when McQueary told him what he had seen; unfortunately, Paterno died in January.

    As for Sandusky, one of his most famous statements regarding all the allegations–which total to almost fifty counts of abuse–stunned the nation when he talked with Bob Costas, who asked Sandusky if he was attracted to young boys.

    “Sexually attracted, you know, I, I enjoy young people. I, I love to be around them. … No, I’m not sexually attracted to young boys.”

    Prosecutor Joseph McGettigan spoke of the strange comment in his closing arguments to the jury.

    “I would think that the automatic response, if someone asks you if you’re a criminal, a pedophile, a child molester, or anything along those lines, would be: ‘You’re crazy. No. Are you nuts?”’

  • Jerry Sandusky Has A Supporter In Pedobear

    I hope the folks frequenting the Centre Country courthouse are up to date on their Internet memes, because Pedobear is on the scene. Now, whether he’s their to “support” Jerry Sandusky and the actions he’s accused of or if he’s there to poke fun at Penn State for creating an atmosphere where Sandusky could allegedly act without impunity remains an unknown, but the fact is, the person dressed in the Pedobear costume could be there for those and other reasons, like Internet notoriety.

    The details surrounding Sandusky’s trial have been quite graphic and disturbing, making it the perfect scene for a Pedobear appearance, but more noticeable, at least to me, is reading PennLive.com’s article as it tries to explain what it is their readers are seeing. It reads like the writer was only a few minutes ahead of their readers in terms of Pedobear education. The fact that they linked to the actual Pedobear.org instead of KnowYourMeme’s entry indicates as much. And then there’s this description:

    An Internet-born character called “Pedobear,” which mocks pedophiles or is their mascot, depending on which website you believe, is at the Centre County courthouse this morning..

    The link in the quote goes to a SFGate Mommy Files blog entry that warns parents about the mascot. Unfortunately, neither publication discusses how Pedobear came about, or the significance of its origins. Well, that’s not entirely true. Amy Graff pays the origin some very brief lip service, but ultimately, she’s only concerned about warning parents about pedophiles.

    KnowYourMeme’s entry is much more enlightening:

    Pedobear is a cartoon mascot that became a well-known icon through its usage on 4chan to signal moderators and other users that illegal pornographic content had been posted. Due to the widespread nature of its application, Pedobear has been often misinterpreted as a symbol of pedophilia and lolita complex, especially in the news media and law enforcement agencies.

    Of course, the person in the Pedobear costume who appeared at Sandusky’s trial is undoubtedly playing up the pedophilia angle, something the proud supporters of Penn State should already be used to. Lest we forget:

    (image)

    With that in mind, it’s surprising the controversial bear didn’t show up sooner.

  • Bob Costas Interviews Jerry Sandusky: Twitter Expresses Shock, Praise

    On last night’s installment of the new NBC Monday night show “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” legendary sportscaster Bob Costas held a phone interview with former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky.

    Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, you know that Penn State has been embroiled in a huge scandal involving allegations of child abuse and rape – and Sandusky is the focal point of those allegations. Eye witnesses claim to have seen Sandusky engaging in sexual intercourse with underage boys, a charge that Sandusky currently denies.

    Evidence so far points to a cover-up within the Penn State program, and the fallout has hit legendary head coach Joe Paterno, as he was fired late last week.

    Last night, Sandusky appeared on the program for an exclusive interview with Costas, and the results were pretty shocking. The interview began with Costas pushing Sandusky to declare his absolute innocence –

    BOB COSTAS:
    Innocent? Completely innocent and falsely accused in every aspect?

    JERRY SANDUSKY    :
    Well I could say that, you know, 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 leg. Without intent of sexual contact. But – so if you look at it that way – there are things that wouldn’t – you know, would be accurate.

    Sandusky continued to deny the charges and refute eyewitness accounts that point to his guilt. Eventually, Costas articulates what most people were thinking at the moment:

    BOB COSTAS:
    How could somebody think they saw something as extreme and shocking as that when it hadn’t occurred, and what would possibly be their motivation to fabricate it?

    JERRY SANDUSKY:
    You’d have to ask them.

    BOB COSTAS:
    It seems that if all of these accusations are false, you are the unluckiest and most persecuted man that any of us has ever heard about.

    JERRY SANDUSKY:
    I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t think that these have been the best days of my life.

    And the transcript really doesn’t do the interview justice. Costas was masterful. He tackled a delicate issue with class, but he didn’t back away from the explicit details of the allegations. He pushed Sandusky to volunteer more information at the right times, and he presented logical followups to some of the unbelievable things coming out of Sandusky’s mouth.

    I can’t declare a man guilty from a interview. Sandusky will get his day in court. He is innocent until proven guilty. But man did that interview fail to help his cause. The written transcript doesn’t show how bad it was for Sandusky. He sounded awkward, hesitant, and made critical pauses before answering questions. You can check out the full interview below:

    It’s truly tough to watch.

    Twitter provides some good commentary, as people everywhere were shocked at what they were hearing:

    @sheetalsheth
    Sheetal Sheth    Listening to Bob Costas interview with Sandusky. Sick to my stomach. 2 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @darcyadams
    Darcy Adams    Just heard a segment from the bob costas interview w/ sandusky last night. Really wish I hadn’t…truly sick to my stomach. So sad. 20 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    @YouCallHimDaver
    David Shotwell    Just to be clear, news outlets, I’m not sure what Sandusky did with Bob Costas last night would be best considered “maintaining” innocence. 30 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    @BnT2DaXtReMe
    Brian N Timm    After hearing the Bob Costas interview with Jerry Sandusky that creep needs to go to prison ASAP 25 minutes ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® · powered by @socialditto

    Many from the sports and broadcasting fields praised Costas for his work during the interview:

    @piersmorgan
    Piers Morgan    The 17 seconds that nail Jerry Sandusky as a child abuser. http://t.co/u5BUsucx – great job, Bob Costas. 4 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @cbfowler
    Chris Fowler    Bob Costas Superbly handled phone interview with Jerry Sandusky tonight. Most disturbing content possible handled with great poise. 15 hours ago via Mobile Web · powered by @socialditto

    @CollinsworthNBC
    Cris Collinsworth    Bob Costas was absolutely brilliant conducting that interview with Jerry Sandusky. 16 hours ago via Twitter for Android · powered by @socialditto

    @Oprah
    Oprah Winfrey    Anybody see Bob Costas interview Jerry Sandusky? Great job Bob. 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPad · powered by @socialditto

    @JasonSobelGC
    Jason Sobel    Here’s hoping Bob Costas’ interview of Jerry Sandusky is being viewed in journalism classes around the country today. Absolutely nailed it. 52 minutes ago via Echofon · powered by @socialditto

    Costas appeared on the “Morning Joe” program on MSNBC this morning to discuss the interview. He said that it was a last minute thing, that he was supposed to be interviewing Sandusky’s lawyer only. Right before the cameras started rolling, Sandusky’s lawyer asked Costas if he wanted to talk to the man himself.

    Costas said that he was thinking that wasn’t a great idea. ‘I wonder from your standpoint whether that’s the smartest thing to do, but at the same time, sure,’” Costas said. “…We pivoted and made it an interview with Sandusky.”

    As far as the court of public opinion goes, Sandusky did little to help his cause. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.