Freeh Finds Penn State Top Brass, Paterno Concealed Facts About Sandusky Allegations

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.—Former FBI Director Louis Freeh released the findings of his investigation into the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case and Penn State on Thursday. The report claims former university president Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, coach Joe Paterno and athletic director Tim Curley did not demonstrate any concern for the welfare of Sandusky’s victims until after his arrest. Freeh was also highly critical of Penn State’s board of trustees.

“The most saddening finding by the Special Investigative counsel is the total and consistent disregard by the most senior leaders at Penn State for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims,” says Freeh in his report. “As the Grand Jury similarly noted in its presentment, ‘there was no attempt to investigate, to identify Victim 2, or to protect that child or any others from similar conduct except as related to preventing its re-occurrence on University property.’”

Related Article: Penn State Responds to Freeh Report, Promises Changes

Penn State’s top administrators “…failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade,” the report claims. “These men concealed Sandusky’s activities from the Board of Trustees, the University community and authorities. They exhibited a striking lack of empathy for Sandusky’s victims by failing to inquire as to their safety and well-being, especially by not attempting to determine the identity of the child who Sandusky assaulted in the Lasch Building in 2001. Further, they exposed this child to additional harm by alerting Sandusky, who was the only one who knew the child’s identity, of what McQueary saw in the shower on the night of Feb. 9, 2001.

“These individuals, unchecked by the Board of Trustees that did not perform its oversight duties, empowered Sandusky to attract potetnial victims to the campus and football events by allowing him to have continued, unrestricted and unsupervised access to the University’s facilities and affiliation with the University’s prominent football program. Indeed, that continued access provided Sandusky with the very currency that enabled him to attract his victims. Some coaches, administrators and football program staff members ignored the red flags of Sandusky’s behaviors, and no one warned the public about him.”

The report goes on to state that Spanier failed in his duties as president of Penn State by not promptly telling the board of trustees about the 1998 and 2001 allegations against Sandusky. Freeh also claims the board failed to oversee Spanier and other top university officials by not inquiring about important university matters and “by not creating an environment where senior University officials felt accountable.”

Penn State officials are currently reviewing the report.

“We want to ensure we are giving the report careful scrutiny and consideration before making any announcements or recommendations,” the school said in a statemetn. “We are convening an internal team comprising the Board of Trustees, University administration and our legal
counsel to begin analyzing the report and digesting Judge Freeh’s findings.

“As we anticipate the review and approval process will take some time, our
initial response and immediate next steps will be presented at 3:30 p.m. at the Dayton/Taylor Conference Room at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center.”

Sandusky, Penn State’s former assistant football coach under  Paterno, was found guilty of 45 out of 48 charges of child sex abuse in June. He was accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a span of 15 years. Some of the assaults occurred at Penn State facilities.

As a result of the case, which came to light when Sandusky was arrested Nov. 5, Paterno and  Spanier were fired. Schultz and Curley were charged with perjury and failure to report to authorities what they knew about the allegations.

Read the full report.

Read Penn State’s statement.

Read Freeh’s comments.

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